Who Needs Love?
by Kaorei
Summary: Paris needs saving, but when you have two heroes who don't get along, the city might need more help than it thought. Bitter rivals with or without the mask, Adrien and Marinette want absolutely nothing to do with each other. But it won't stay this way for long because, as the saying goes, there's a fine line between love and hate… ― LadyNoir/Adrinette/MariChat/Ladrien, rival!au.
1. Origins I: This Means War

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. It belongs to its respective owner.**_

* * *

 **Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 01_

Origins I: This Means War

Many centuries ago, seven magical stones containing extraordinary powers were created to defeat evil.

These were the _Miraculous_.

Throughout the years, the Chosen Ones used these stones for the good of humanity, saving all those in need of help. Two of these Miraculous are more powerful than the others—the earrings of the Ladybug, the power of creation, and the ring of the Black Cat, the power of destruction. Like yin and yang, these two work together perfectly, but if they fall into the wrong hands, danger may arise and the fate of the universe may be threatened.

As legend has it, anyone who uses the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous at the same time will gain absolute power. The holder will be able to do whatever they please—revive a lost one, reset time, or even bring end to this world.

Hungry for this power, the Butterfly Miraculous holder turned himself into a villain and re-named himself as Hawkmoth. He enslaved his own kwami, Nooroo, and used its power for evil in order to obtain the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous.

The Butterfly Miraculous is the power of control—black butterflies form at his will and he can use these tainted tools to control whoever he desires.

"I sense negative emotions…" Hawkmoth says to himself.

A white butterfly flies into his palm, and a black and violet cloud forms around it. When the cloud disappeared, Hawkmoth opens his palm to reveal a butterfly as black as death—and akuma. He releases it, and the butterfly flies around the city of Paris in search for the poor victim.

Having sensed this negative aura, the turtle kwami, Wayzz, warns Master Fu. Believing him to be too old to go against such strong power, he punches in a code into his gramophone, revealing a box containing the accessories of four Miraculous stones—the Fox necklace, the Bee comb, the Ladybug earrings and the Black Cat ring. He looks down at the empty Peacock and Butterfly boxes with a heavy heart before picking up the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous.

Master Fu heads out of his dojo, a single question lingering in his mind.

Who are the two that can save us all?

* * *

"Marinette! Get up; your alarm's been ringing for fifteen minutes already! You're going to be late for your first day of school!"

"Yes, mom."

A girl with black hair in pigtails emerges from her pink covers and reaches a hand out to turn off the alarm on her cellphone. She stretches her arms out and yawns, dreading the start of a new school year already. She climbs out of bed and drags her feet down the stairs, giving her mother a peck on the cheek once she reaches the kitchen floors.

"I bet Chloe's going to be in my class again this year…" Marinette mumbles sadly. She's been bullied and pushed around by the blonde for four consecutive years—she only wishes that this year will be different.

"Four years in a row? Is that possible?" Sabine asks in shock. She almost wants to march all the way to her daughter's school and demand for her to switch into a different class, but she doesn't want to cause any trouble for Marinette, since Chloe might give her a harder time (she _is_ the daughter of Mayor Bourgeois after all).

"Definitely. I've got the best of luck, don't I?" Marinette frowns, pouring milk and cereal into her bowl.

Sabine shakes her head, thinking optimistically for the sake of her daughter. "Don't say that. New school, new year, new beginning—I'm sure this year will be better than the last four. Keep your head up high," she smiles.

Marinette nods her head and returns the smile, putting her cereal box down. However, this action makes the table wobble slightly, causing an orange to roll off the fruit bowl and knock over everything that stood in its way. Marinette hangs her head at her clumsiness, and Sabine only laughs and cleans up the mess her daughter had just made.

"Don't worry about this—go get dressed up. You'll be late for school," Sabine says. Marinette nods at her mother and rushes up the stairs to get changed into her every day clothes.

Noting the time, she hurries down the stairs once she's done, and she's greeted by her father's joyful singing. Tom finishes placing the last macaron in his box before turning around and presenting it to his daughter.

"Ta-da! My famous pistachio macarons!" Tom exclaims, handing them to Marinette. She clutches the box of desserts happily and jumps up and down excitedly.

"Thanks, dad! My classmates will definitely love this!" she exclaims. "You're the best!"

" _We_ 're the best," the baker corrects. "Your designs brought in quite the crowd. I have you to thank too."

Marinette throws her arms around her father, accidentally letting go of the macarons in the process. Tom luckily catches it in time with his foot and kicks it in the air, catching it with his arms.

"Be careful with it," he laughs heartily, handing the box back to his daughter.

Nodding, Marinette kisses both of her parents on the cheek before running out the door with the box of macarons and her backpack in hand. She screams, "See you guys later!" before exiting the door and walking out into the streets of Paris.

Marinette runs in the direction of school, stopping just in time before she could be flattened by a speeding car. While waiting for the stoplight to flash the walking sign, her mouth hangs open in horror when she sees an elderly man walking in the middle of the street. A car honks in the distance, trying to catch the attention of the old man so that he could get out of the way before he could get hit.

Gasping, Marinette runs forward and grabs the old man's arm, pulling him out of harm's way. While pulling him to safety, she accidentally trips on the sidewalk, causing her to fall and drop the box of macarons. A few of them roll out, and her face contorts in horror when a pedestrian crushes one with their foot.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry about your macarons," the old man bemoans.

Marinette picks up the box, and sighs in relief seeing as there are still so many macarons inside. She shakes her head and smiles at the elder. "Don't worry, it's my fault. I'm very clumsy, you see, and besides, there are still plenty of macarons left inside," she says, offering him one. The old man gladly takes one of the pistachio pastries and grins at how good it tastes.

"Delicious!" he exclaims.

"We have many other pastries at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery if you're interested," she promotes. "It's right here, actually—"

The sound of her school bell rings in the distance, making Marinette jump. "I'm going to be late! I-I have to go! Have a good day, sir, take care!" she exclaims in a panic. She turns to the man and bows respectfully before dashing off, muttering, "How can I be late for the _first_ day of school?!"

Marinette runs as fast as her legs could carry her, making it to school right before the school workers can shut the entrance doors. She runs into her classroom, panting heavily, the box of macarons still safe.

"Nino," her new teacher calls out. A boy with black hair and glasses pulls his headphones down to listen what she has to say. "Why don't you sit at the front this year?

Groaning, Nino drags his feet down the steps and takes a seat at the front. He plops onto his chair childishly and expresses a look of annoyance and discontent.

Right when Marinette takes her usual seat, Chloe Bourgeois slams her palm on the black-haired girl's desk and says in a snobbish tone, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Here we go again," Marinette mumbles. The whole class has their eyes on the two, and Marinette shrinks under the attention intentionally put on her.

"That's _my_ seat," Chloe finishes, flicking a lock of her blonde hair.

"But Chloe, this has always been _my_ seat," Marinette frowns. "I've been sitting in this spot for the last four years."

"Well, not anymore," a voice behind her says in an equally snobbish voice. Marinette turns around to find Chloe's friend (more like servant) sitting next to her with a smirk on her face. "New school, new year, new _seats_."

"So, why don't you go sit with that new girl over there?" Chloe suggests, pointing over at an unfamiliar girl with glasses and wavy scarlet hair. The girl turns to Chloe and glares daggers at her.

"But—" Marinette begins.

"Listen," Chloe cuts. " _Adrien_ is coming today, and since he's going to sit right there," She points to the seat in front of Marinette's. "I'm going to sit right here, _got it_?"

"…Who's Adrien?" Marinette asks, raising an eyebrow. This question makes Chloe and Sabrina burst into laughter.

"Can you believe she doesn't know who _Adrien_ is?" Chloe mocks, making Marinette look down in embarrassment. "He's _only_ a famous model, and my _best friend_. He adores me, just like everyone."

The people behind her cough loudly upon hearing her last sentence.

"So, _move it_ —" Chloe orders.

" _Hey_."

Marinette looks up to see the new student standing next to Chloe with her arms crossed and a fierce look in her eyes. "What makes you think _you_ can decide where people sit?" the scarlet-haired girl snaps.

"Aw, how cute—looks like we've got a _hero_ in our class this year," Chloe mocks. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

"It becomes my business when _witches_ like you threaten innocent people," she counters, pushing the blonde aside. Chloe gasps at the attack, making a note to tell her father all about the new student at École Francoise-Dupont.

"Come on," the student says, grabbing Marinette's arm. Her grip is strong and her steps are quick, and Marinette trips down the stairs, dropping the box of macarons in her hands.

When the teacher, Mme Bustier, starts talking, Marinette turns to the girl next to her and says, "Thank you for helping me out back there."

"No problem," she answers. "I just _hate_ people like her. Who do they think they are?"

"You're so brave. I wish _I_ could stand up to Chloe the way you do," Marinette falters, looking down at her box of macarons. There's only one left, and her shoulders slump—she's even clumsier this year.

"You mean, the way _Majestia_ does," the redhead grins, taking out her phone to show her a picture of a superheroine. "She stands up for what's right, and isn't afraid to intervene when the situation calls for it. She defeats evil flawlessly because good _always_ wins." She then points over to Chloe, saying, "That girl is evil, and we're," She gestures to the two of them. "Good. Don't let her push you around all the time."

"Easier said than done," Marinette frowns. "She likes making my life miserable."

"That's because you let her!" the new student exclaims. "Stand up for yourself once in a while. Just have confidence!"

Smiling, Marinette takes the last macaron out of the box and splits it in half. "I hope you like pistachio," she says, handing her a half.

"Love it," she grins, taking the pastry. "I'm Alya."

"Marinette," she smiles.

They pop the dessert in their mouths, sighing in content at how delicious it tastes. Mme Bustier presents herself as the class's homeroom teacher, and while she's talking, Marinette hears Chloe mutter, "Where is he? He should be here by now."

* * *

A boy with blond hair scans his surroundings, and when the coast is clear, he sprints towards the entrance of École Francoise-Dupont. Halfway up the stairs, a silver car screeches to a halt and Adrien winces, knowing all too well that the car was chasing him.

"So close…" he mutters, turning away from the school building.

"Adrien!" the boy turns around at his name and sees his father's assistant, Nathalie, exit the car with a dead serious look on her face. "You _know_ you're not supposed to be here."

"I know, but I _want_ to be here!" Adrien fights back, turning around to head into the building. A cry catches his attention, and he turns his head in the direction it came from. He gasps at the sight of an old man on the ground struggling to reach for his cane.

Adrien runs to the old man's aid and hands him the cane with a warm smile on his face. The man struggles to stand on his feet, and Adrien offers him assistance by helping him up.

"Thank you, young man," he says, to which Adrien responds with a nod.

"Be careful, sir. Take care," the blond says kindly. He turns away and prepares himself to run, grumbling when he sees Nathalie and the driver (whom he calls Gorilla) blocking the entrance.

Head hung low, Adrien slowly makes his way towards them and mumbles, "I just want to go to school like everybody else and make friends and…" He sighs. "Alright, I'll go home. Please don't tell my father about this."

In the car, Nathalie notices Adrien looking out the window with a sad look on his face.

She sighs.

* * *

The bell rings, signaling the end of class, and the students all pack up their bags to head to their next class. While Mme Bustier is explaining the schedules, she is interrupted by the booming of a voice and snickering.

" _Kim_!" a student with a big build thunders. The student throws his arm back, ready to punch the athlete in the face, when he's stopped by the teacher.

"Ivan, what's going on?!" Mme Bustier says in a panic.

"It's Kim!" he accuses, making the athlete's face fall for ratting him out. Ivan prepares his fist to land a punch, gritting his teeth, "I'm going to—"

"Ivan, this is unacceptable behavior on the first day of class! Go to the principal's office!"

Ivan's mouth drops open, and he sends Kim one last glare before storming out the door. He crumples the paper Kim gave him and clutches it in his hand tightly.

"Poor Ivan," Marinette frowns, throwing Kim a stern look, who continues to laugh.

Alya places a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be all right. Come on, let's head to the library."

Marinette nods.

In the library, Alya and Marinette get a head start on their homework, when they're suddenly knocked out of their seats. Students are screaming in horror and they're running around the library knocking books over.

"Come on!" Alya exclaims, helping Marinette up. She takes the black-haired girl's arm and drags her across the library, where many students were watching the news to see what's going on.

Marinette couldn't believe her eyes when she saw what was causing all this trouble. On the television screen is a monster made of stone standing at about ten feet tall destroying cars and city property. The monster lets out a growl, making Marinette's eyes widen at the familiarity of the voice.

"… _Ivan_?" Marinette gasps. "Alya, that monster has Ivan's voice!"

" _Cool_!" Alya exclaims, eyes flickering with excitement and awe. "It's like he got transformed into a real-life supervillain!" She takes her phone out and taps it several times. "Battery full, GPS on, video ready! I'm going to go film this, see you, Marinette!" Alya rushes out of the library to record the supervillain raiding the streets.

"Wait, Alya! It's dangerous!" Marinette screams after her.

" _Yes_ , but whenever there's a supervillain, there's a super _hero_! I can't miss this chance!" she exclaims, pushing the doors open and running off.

"Alya!" Marinette's cries fall on deaf ears, and she could only watch helplessly as Alya disappears in the distance.

* * *

"But father—"

"No, Adrien. And that's final."

Adrien shoots a look at Nathalie, whose face remains straight and unreadable as always. He frowns at her betrayal, but continues to fight for his freedom.

"But— _why_?" Adrien cries, standing up from his seat. " _Why_ can't I just go to school like all the normal kids?"

"Everything you need is right here, where I can keep an eye on you and not have to worry about you," Gabriel Agreste explains. "I refuse to let you outside. The world is a dangerous place, Adrien. You know that."

"I'll be fine!" Adrien says in hopes of convincing him. "I'm always stuck here at home! I want to make friends! I want to learn at a school! I want all of that just like everyone else—"

"You're not everyone else! _You're my son_!"

Clutching his fists, Adrien runs out of the room and up the stairs to his room. He slams his door shut and plops onto his bed sadly. His sad thoughts are interrupted by the sound of crashes coming from outside, and Adrien rushes to his window to see what's happening. He lets out a gasp when he sees a monster with a body made of stone throwing cars around and destroying anything that stood in his path.

"What's that?!" he cries.

Adrien runs to his couch and turns on the television.

"—we advise everyone to stay inside their homes until the threat leaves," Mayor Bourgeois says calmly.

"As crazy as it seems, Paris is indeed being attacked by a supervillain of sorts. The police are struggling to keep the situation under control," the news reporter announces.

Eyes wide in shock, Adrien looks down and reaches for the remote to turn the television off, when something catches his eye.

"What's this?"

Adrien picks up the unfamiliar item and inspects it thoroughly. It appears to be a little box with an intricate ruby red design on its cover. He curiously opens it up and winces at the bright green light that shone upon opening it. Adrien gasps in surprise when a little black cat appears before him. The creature is floating in mid-air, and it yawns as if it had just woken up from a nap.

"Are you some kind of genie?" Adrien exclaims, grinning. He brings up a finger to poke it, but the kitty dodges his finger.

"Genie? Pfft," it harrumphs. "Three measly wishes are _nothing_ compared to what _I_ have in store for you, kid. The name's Plagg, nice to meet you—ooh! That looks delicious…" Plagg flies over to one of the little soccer player figures on Adrien's foosball table and munches on it.

"No! That's not food!" Adrien cries, running forward to catch it. Plagg flies off before the blond could reach him, and he floats on top of a joystick of one of Adrien's arcade machines.

"How about this?" Plaggs asks, taking a bite. "Nope, guess not. Oh, what about that?"

"No, wait! Come back!" Adrien cries, trying to catch the gluttonous black cat. "What are you?!"

* * *

"—a _kwami_."

"G-GO AWAY! BUG—MOUSE—BUG-MOUSE!" Marinette screeches. Upon opening the little box she found on her desk, a little red creature with an over-sized head and a black dot on its forehead appeared.

"No! I'm a _kwami_! A _Ladybug_ kwami!" the little ladybug exclaims. Still frightened, Marinette takes whatever she can get her hands on and throws it at the _thing_. "Marinette, please stop! I know it may seem a bit crazy, but—"

Marinette manages to trap the so-called _kwami_ in a glass, to which it responds to this by saying, "Okay, if that makes you feel safer!"

"Who are you—no, _what_ are you? And how do you know my name?" Marinette asks.

"My name's Tikki, and I'm a kwami!" it exclaims happily.

"I got it the first two times, just—what's a kwami?" Marinette asks, moving across the floor to get closer to her floor door.

"A sprite! I guide you and help you transform into Ladybug. You have the power of good luck and creation," it explains. "You are the Chosen One!"

* * *

"—Chosen One?"

"Yeah, that's right," Plagg says, looking around the room. "So, do you have anything for me to eat? I'm _starving_."

"Just… what _are_ you?" Adrien asks. He's tired and panting heavily after chasing the little black cat around his room. He finally managed to catch him by jumping from his rock climbing wall.

"In short? I'm a kwami—some kind of sprite-thing that grants powers. You're Black Cat—Chat Noir, if you prefer—and your power is bad luck and destruction. Got it? Good. Now, got any food?"

"My father must be pranking me… right?" Adrien asks uncertainly, when it suddenly hits him. It couldn't be—Gabriel Agreste doesn't even have a sense of humor.

"Your father must never know about me, or anyone else for that matter," Plagg says. "Keep your mouth zipped at all times, got it, kid?"

* * *

"No, no, no!"

"MOM! DAD! HELP!"

"Marinette, no!" Seeing as there's no other way to stop her, Tikki phases through the glass cup and flies in front of Marinette's face. "I'm your friend! You must trust me! You can stop Stoneheart!"

"Me, stop Ivan?!" Marinette exclaims. "There's no way _I_ can do that! I don't think I'm cut out for this kind of thing. Oh, I know! My friend Alya's really into this superhero kind of thing, go to _her_!" She smiles, and tries shooing the little ladybug away, but it doesn't leave.

"I can't! You are the Chosen One!" Tikki exclaims, handing her two ladybug-printed earrings. "Wear these. They help you transform."

Marinette hesitantly puts the earrings on, listening to every word of Tikki's explanations. The black-haired girl looks into the mirror nervously, awaiting to see her transformed self when Tikki allows her to.

"Alright, so I have to capture this amuka—"

" _Akuma_ ," Tikki corrects. "That's right! You use your compact to capture and purify it once you break the item the akuma flew into. Throw your Lucky Charm in the air, and the victim will go back to normal as well as everything that got destroyed during the attack."

"Lucky Charm?"

Tikki nods. "Throw your yoyo in the air when you're in a tight situation, and it'll help you defeat the akumatized victim!"

"This seems like a lot to remember…" Marinette says. "I don't think I'm cut out for this, Tikki."

"You are! Just have confidence!" Tikki smiles. "Trust yourself, Marinette. Say, _transform me_ , and it'll do just that."

"Transform me?"

The second these words escaped her mouth, Marinette's earrings glow pink, and a gust of wind envelops her entire body.

"Wh-what's happening?!" Marinette cries when Tikki swirls into her earring. She looks into the mirror and sees a ladybug-printed mask digitalized over her face, and a matching skin-tight costume replaces her every day clothes. A yoyo with the same pattern is slung across her chest, mimicking a round, cross-shoulder purse. When her transformation completes itself, she screeches, " _What is this_?!"

* * *

"All you have to do is capture the akuma with your staff, and _poof_ , magic sparkles fill the air and everyone all right again," Plagg says nonchalantly. His hunger is top priority right now (funny how it's above saving the fate of the universe).

"…How do I catch a butterfly with a _staff_?" Adrien raises an eyebrow. "Do I hit it?"

"Kid, there's a difference between killing it and purifying it," Plagg says. "When the akuma's released, the end of your staff glows green. Make sure to touch the akuma with it—it'll turn white, and that's it. Just set it free, and there you go, you saved the day."

"I see, and what was that thing about Cataclysm?" he asks.

"Touch whatever you want, and it'll destroy it in an instant. You can only use it once and after using it, you only have five minutes until you transform back into your normal self," Plagg re-explains, yawning. "Are we done now? Can I have something to eat?"

"There's just one last thing," Adrien says, examining his ring. "How can _I_ be the Chosen One? I'm stuck in here! I can't even leave home!"

"Well, you're going to have to break a few rules. You're a superhero now," Plagg says. "You're the one who can save us all." He pauses. "Well, not _exactly_ …"

"What do you mean by _not exactly_?" Adrien asks, approaching the kwami.

"When there's a Plagg, there's a Tikki, and when there's a Chat Noir, there's a Ladybug," the black cat says. Noting his holder's confused face, Plagg explains, "Or in other words, you have a partner—a Ladybug. While you hold the power of destruction, she holds the power of creation."

"Where is she?" Adrien asks eagerly. Maybe she could be his first friend.

Plagg shrugs, making Adrien's face fall. "No idea. But she'll drop in sooner or later," Plagg says, rubbing his hands together. "Alright, Paris needs saving, so let's get going. Say _transform me_ , and let's head on out!"

Adrien nods with a grin and he punches the air, exclaiming. "Alright! Plagg, transform me!"

If he weren't swirling into his ring, Plagg would've definitely laughed at how natural Adrien was at transforming. Adrien acts as though he's been doing this for ages—eyes closed, he throws his hand up in the air, and the ring changes color from shining silver to coal black. He swipes his face with two fingers, making a black cat mask digitalize over his face, and his sclera turns green to resemble the eyes of a cat. He runs his hands through his blond hair, and two black cat ears form at the top of his head. A skin-tight leather suit replaces his normal clothes, and a long black belt sticks out from behind him to resemble a cat's tail. He scratches the air with the claws that form at his fingers, and strikes a pose at the end of his transformation as if he were modelling for a superhero ad.

Adrien looks down at his gloved hands, grinning, " _Cool_."

* * *

" _Not_ cool!"

Marinette looks down at her superhero costume uncertainly. "How do I take this off? Is there a zipper anywhere?" she asks aloud, searching for one. "Tikki? Tikki, I want my normal clothes back, please! Help me get out of this thing!"

She's interrupted by the news reporter on her computer screen saying, "Stoneheart appears to be heading down south, and the monster seems to be unstoppable. It continues to grow with each obstacle it faces."

The reporter's voice slowly fade into the background, and all Marinette can focus on is the familiar figure following the monster.

"A-Alya?!" she exclaims, eyes widening when she sees the scarlet-haired girl following Stoneheart on a bike. "It _is_ Alya! I-I have to do something!"

Marinette rushes up to her roof balcony, ignoring her mother's calls for her.

"Okay, so I have special powers… and this yoyo?" Marinette asks herself as inspects her so-called weapon. She flings it, and a small gasp escapes from her mouth when it latches onto something too far for her to see. "Am I supposed to…?"

Ladybug hesitantly pulls on the string and she lets out a scream of horror when she flies off her balcony. Her scream catches the attention of a few passersby, but she can't bring herself to care at this moment. Her only concern is finding a soft landing.

Her eyes widen when she flies over the building her yoyo latched onto and she does the only thing she can—she screams louder. Ladybug catches sight of a boy dressed in black with cat ears and a tail balancing on a silver pole, and she slams right into him as she clearly wasn't able to change her trajectory. The two let out a cry of surprise when Ladybug's yoyo wraps around the two of them, and they're knocked right off the pole. Luckily, the yoyo snaps in place, and they dangle upside-down, just meters above the hard cement.

"Well, Plagg wasn't wrong when he said you'd drop in soon," he deadpans.

"Oh, my gosh! I-I'm so sorry!" Ladybug apologizes, face flushing.

"First impressions are really important, I hope you know that," the boy smirks. "And to be completely honest, you're not exactly leaving me with a very good one."

Ladybug scowls. She doesn't know if it's the smirk or the tone of his voice or even the words that come out of his mouth, but she already thinks of him as one huge _jerk_.

"You're not leaving me with a very good one either, just so you know," Ladybug shoots back. Chloe already steps all over her; _no way_ is she going to let this rude cat-boy do it too.

They untangle each other, and the boy gracefully lands on all fours just like a cat. Ladybug isn't so lucky, despite her power being _good_ luck, and she lands on her behind with a small cry of pain.

"Don't tell me _you're_ the partner my kwami told me about," the boy grimaces. He skillfully catches the silver staff in his hand, which shrinks down to the size of his arm.

Ladybug stands up and composes herself before glaring up at the boy. "What's that supposed to mean?" she grits her teeth.

He puts his hands up in defense and smirks, "Nothing, _My Lady_." Ladybug utterly hates the way he said her name—it sounds like he's mocking her, and he has that annoying smirk on his face that she just wants to rip off.

" _Ladybug_ ," she says forcibly. " _Do not_ call me that again." She pulls on the string of her yoyo, and grins victoriously when it hits the boy on the top of his head.

"You did that on purpose!" he cries childishly, rubbing the top of his head in order to soothe the pain.

"Obviously," Ladybug rolls her eyes. She mumbles, "Jerk."

"Jerk? Yeah, _no_. The name's Chat Noir, Princess," he says, bowing down to her mockingly.

"Don't call me _Princess_ either," Ladybug glares. "And really? Chat Noir? _Black Cat_? A-plus for creativity."

"Says the one called _Ladybug_."

"Touché."

Their bickering is interrupted by a loud crash, and they turn around just in time to see a crumbling building in the distance.

"Well, it's time to save the day like the hero I am," Chat Noir says with a wink and a two-finger salute. He runs forward and his staff extends, carrying him all the way up to the roof of a nearby building.

"You mean, like the _heroes we are_ ," Ladybug corrects, saying this loud enough for him to hear.

Chat Noir looks down at her from his place on the roof and snorts. "Listen, Princess—you're still trying to get used to this kind of thing, and that's only going to slow me down. Let the real hero save the day." He jumps out of sight, and Ladybug is left standing with her mouth agape.

"Hey, you jerk! Get back here!" she yells before following him with a fling of her yoyo.

* * *

Several students are stretching in École Francoise-Dupont's school arena, getting ready for the day's sports activities and exercises. The ground beneath them suddenly rumbles and a thundering growl resounds all over the area, making the students turn to where the sound came from. They look up to see the monster of Paris standing on the fence of the arena, and they each let out a scream of horror.

" _KIM_!" Stoneheart snarls, stomping its foot. This frightens every student and they rush off to find a place to hide, but Kim stands frozen in place, eyes widening at the familiar voice. " _Who's the wuss now_?!"

"I-Ivan?!" Kim gasps.

The monster jumps off the fence and lands right in front of him, and growls, "It's _Stoneheart_!"

Horrified, Kim attempts to run off and Stoneheart chases after him. Kim is lucky that the creature's heavy stone body is slowing it down, but the jock trips over his own feet and Stoneheart catches up almost instantly. Before it can even land a finger on Kim, a silver staff plants itself in between the two, and a boy with a black cat suit lands next to the athlete. Kim takes this as the opportunity to run, and Stoneheart roars at Chat Noir for meddling.

"If you want to fight, fight me instead," Chat Noir grins, shrinking his staff and making a fighting stance. He's starting to get used to this superhero business.

" _You will pay_!" Stoneheart screams, throwing its arm back and balling its fist.

"Alright, let's _rock_ and roll!" Chat Noir says, stifling his laughter at his own pun. He dodges every single one of Stoneheart's attacks with ease, and strikes it with his staff once he's found an opening. However, this attack only makes Stoneheart grow bigger, and Chat Noir's eyes widen at the outcome.

Ladybug watches the entire scene from the fence of the arena, covering her face in shame. "Chat Noir's right, he could save the day on his own," she cowers. "I can't do it."

She gasps when Stoneheart throws a soccer net at Chat Noir, sighing in relief when the hero dodges it. However, Ladybug lets out another frightful gasp when the net bounces over to a familiar classmate with scarlet hair—Alya. The girl has been filming the fight on her phone at the entrance of the field, and Ladybug's eyes widen at the oncoming danger.

Seeing this, Chat Noir throws his staff in her direction, which extends, and makes the soccer net bounce right off of it. The boy grins victoriously, but it's replaced by a look of fear when he's grabbed by Stoneheart.

Gasping, Ladybug jumps off the fence and flings her yoyo at the monster, landing gracefully on the grassy field.

"That cat is one pain in the butt, but no way am I leaving him in your clutches!" Ladybug glares. She pulls on the string of her yoyo, making the stone creature fall over and release Chat Noir. The cat-superhero lands right next to Ladybug, who offers her hand for him to take.

"I'm good," he says, brushing her hand away. Ladybug scowls at his rudeness, but quickly dismisses it because the bigger problem stands in front of them. "Any attack against him makes him grow."

"If you watched the news, you'd know that before striking it with your staff," she attacks.

Chat Noir scowls. " _Hey_ —unlike _you_ , I was busy emptying the streets," he counters. "Slammed into anyone lately?"

Ladybug opens her mouth to shoot him a retort, but she's interrupted by a loud growl. The two heroes turn to Stoneheart and make a fighting stance.

"I know! I'll use Cataclysm to destroy him—" Chat Noir begins.

"No!" Ladybug cuts. "You'll kill Iva—I-I mean, the victim!"

Chat Noir crosses his arms. "Then, what do you suggest?"

Ladybug makes a thinking stance, and then her face lights up seconds later. She takes her yoyo and throws it up in the air, shouting, "LUCKY CHARM!"

Her yoyo shines and little ladybugs swirl together to create her weapon. A ladybug-printed suit falls into her hands, making her and Chat Noir raise an eyebrow.

"…What is this?" Ladybug asks, inspecting it.

"Are you supposed to wear that?" Chat Noir asks. "I guess you _would_ distract Stoneheart by wearing it."

She narrows her eyes at him. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Ladybug squints her eyes at the akumatized victim, her eyes widening in realization. "Wait… Stoneheart never opened up his left hand. The object must be in there!"

"Then, what do you suggest we do?" Chat Noir asks.

Ladybug looks around the arena for a clue, letting out a gasp of surprise when several objects blinked with a ladybug pattern. She memorizes the objects, and an idea pops into her mind.

"I got it!" she exclaims. Ladybug attaches her Lucky Charm to the mouth of a hose, the whips out her yoyo and wraps it around Chat Noir.

"What are you doing?!" he screeches.

"Trust me!" Ladybug grins. Without hesitation, she launches Chat Noir in the air, and Stoneheart catches him flawlessly.

"Is this revenge for making fun of you?!" Chat Noir screams.

"Yes and no," Ladybug smirks. She jumps up in the air with her Lucky Charm, screaming, "Catch me if you can, Stoneheart!"

With both hands full, Stoneheart knows it has to sacrifice one. He glances over at Chat Noir, then at its tightened fist, and opts to open the latter. The object in its hand—a crumpled piece of paper—falls to the ground, and it catches Ladybug in its hand, scream erupting in victory.

"Good going, My Lady," Chat Noir says sarcastically.

"Watch and see, Kitty," Ladybug grins. "Alya!" she calls, making the girl look up. "The tap!"

Alya springs right into action and dashes over to the tap. She turns the handle around, and water rushes through the hose, making Ladybug's Lucky Charm (the ladybug-printed suit) fill up with water. This causes Stoneheart's fist to pop open, and Ladybug grins at her escape. She runs over to the violet-tinted paper, picks it up, and finally rips it in half.

Ivan transforms into his old self once again, and he shakes his head in confusion, wondering just how he got there. Chat Noir lands right next to her, and Ladybug grins and puts her fist up for him to bump.

"Just to let you know, I would've been fine all on my own," Chat Noir says, making Ladybug fume and lower her fist. Her smile turns into a scowl, and clenches both of her fists tightly until her knuckles turned white.

"Just to let _you_ know, you would've been crushed by now if I didn't make it here in time!" Ladybug screams. "Is this your way of saying thanks to me saving you?!"

Chat Noir gives her a blank look. "Who said I was going to thank you?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir continue to bicker, and they both fail to notice the black butterfly fly past them. A beep rings in Ladybug's ear, and she suddenly remembers Tikki 's instructions about only having five minutes before she transforms back.

"My time's running up," Ladybug says, touching an earring. She looks up at Chat Noir and glares, "Good thing—I can get away from _you_!"

"Oh, no need, _I_ 'll leave first," Chat Noir says, extending his silver staff to hop on top of the arena's fence. He looks down at her, and before hopping off the fence, he screams, "I don't care what my kwami says, no way am I working with _you_!"

"That _jerk_!" Marinette screams in frustration when he's no longer in sight. "No way am I partnering up with _him_!

"Ugh…"

Ladybug's eyes widen when she hears the groan from behind her, and she runs over to the de-akumatized Ivan, not forgetting to pick up the crumpled piece of paper on the ground. She flattens the paper and reads aloud, "Just tell Mylene you like her already, wuss."

"Kim wrote it…" Ivan mutters. "He's always making fun of me because of that."

"There's nothing wrong with liking someone," Ladybug smiles.

"THAT. WAS. _AWESOME_!"

Ladybug and Ivan raise an eyebrow and turn their heads to find Alya close by with her phones still recording.

"Hey, who was that black cat? Was he your partner? And who are you two? Where did you come from? Will you two protect Paris from now on? Oh, I have so many questions to ask you!" Alya exclaims with the biggest and most excited grin on her face.

Another beep rings in Ladybug's ears, and she immediately gets up on her feet. She flings her yoyo in the air, but right before she could pull on it, Alya asks, "Wait! What can we call you?"

"Ladybug."

Ladybug flashes her one last grin before swinging over the arena.

* * *

"Can you _believe_ what a jerk that guy is?!" Marinette complains to Tikki, who's eating chocolate chip cookies to regain her energy. "And I thought my partner was going to be a kind, civilized person! Instead I got this—"

Marinette is interrupted by the reporter on her computer screen saying, "Just when we thought everything was all right again, many people are mysteriously turning into stone beings as well."

"Wh-what…?" Marinette's eyes widen. "But it can't be—"

* * *

"—we defeated the akuma!" Adrien says, covering his nose when he starts smelling the Camembert cheese is currently eating. "Plagg, do you mind? Honestly… out of all the foods in the world, you like Camembert, meaning that I'm going to smell like stinky, old cheese—"

"Don't judge my preferences," Plagg huffs, watching the television screen. He notes the black butterflies touching the citizens and turning them into Stoneheart's. "You didn't capture the akuma, did you?"

"Wait—Ladybug didn't catch it?!"

* * *

"Who was the one who broke the item?" Tikki asks, and Marinette deflates at the question.

"I-I did…" she answers quietly. "But what does capturing the akuma have anything to do with the other Stoneheart's?"

"An akuma can multiply!" Tikki says in a panic. "If Ivan's emotions become negative again, then the akuma will turn him back into Stoneheart, he'll control the stone beings and bring them to life to serve as his army!"

"Oh, Tikki, I'm sorry! I completely forgot about the most important detail!" Marinette cries, covering her face with her hands. She then lowers them and a glare replaces her worried face. "It's all Chat Noir's fault! If he hadn't insulted me, then…!"

* * *

"Guess she didn't catch it," Plagg says, eating a slice of Camembert cheese in one bite.

"Now what?" Adrien groans.

"One of you has to purify it," Plagg says.

Adrien nods.

" _I_ 'll be the one to purify it."

* * *

"One of you has to purify it," Tikki says.

Marinette clutches her fists.

"I can't let him win."

* * *

"This means _war_."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Love/hate relationships are my lifeblood.

Loosely inspired by **dramaticdragon** 's Rival AU on tumblr. I changed up a few things though, and the main one being that not only do Chat Noir and Ladybug not get along with each other, but Adrien and Marinette don't either. So, any pairing with them; LadyNoir, Adrinette, MariChat and Ladrien has that love/hate relationship. I was originally going to keep Adrien and Marinette's relationship the same as the one in the show, but I find this a lot more entertaining because _jealousy_ (and it would be pretty boring because then you guys would be reading the exact same Adrinette scenes from the show).

If you were wondering, basically, I'll be writing the entirety of Season 01 of _Miraculous_ _Ladybug_ , but if Adrien and Marinette had a love/hate relationship. I'm mostly doing this to practice my writing and relationship development, but I'm also doing this because it's fun LOL. There are a few episodes I really don't feel like writing because of the lack of LadyNoir/Adrinette (Darkblade, Rogercop mehhh), but I'll hopefully think of something to add to those episodes once I get there.

I'm sorry for the last few dialogues by the way, I was trying to make it dramatic but failed horribly OTL. (And I know there's no _end card_ in this episode, but I just like ending the chapters with _end card_ ).

Thank you for reading!

 _Next Episode_ : Origins II


	2. Origins II: There's No We in Team

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 02_

Origins II: There's No "We" in "Team"

"You're probably the weirdest kid I've known in all my five thousand years of living."

"What makes you say that?"

Adrien managed to sneak out of his house, and he's running as fast as he can before Nathalie and Gorilla could beat him to school. After his little adventure as Paris's superhero Chat Noir, he just _had_ to go back outside.

"Who'd want to be at school when you can just stay home all day?" Plagg says, floating before the blond with a look of confusion on his face.

"You don't get it, Plagg," Adrien says, shaking his head. "I've had enough of being trapped at home by my father. I want to meet people, make friends—in both my superhero _and_ civilian life!"

Plagg sighs and halts his flying to a stop, making Adrien stop in his tracks. "I'm feeling a bit weak here," the black cat cries. "Need… cheese…!"

Groaning, Adrien takes a slice of Camembert cheese out of his bag and presents it to his kwami, who eats it in one bite. " _You_ 're the weirdest cat _I_ 've ever known in all my fifteen years of living. What cat eats _cheese_?"

"I'm a _kwami_ ," Plagg emphasizes. "There's a huge difference between a kwami and an actual cat. And be thankful that I don't eat mice. I don't think you'd appreciate smelling like dead rodents."

"I don't appreciate smelling like this stinky, old cheese either," Adrien huffs.

"Well, if you want to be able to transform into Chat Noir, Camembert's the requirement," Plagg grins. Rolling his eyes, Adrien holds open his buttoned shirt, and the kwami flies into it. The blond takes a glance at his watch to check the time, and seeing that there's only ten minutes until class starts, he sprints off into the direction of École Francoise-Dupont.

* * *

"LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR ARE SO COOL!" Alya exclaims with the biggest grin on her face.

Marinette feels a fire within her burn at the very mention of Chat Noir, but quickly extinguishes the flames before she could say something that could accidentally hint that she's Ladybug. "Come on, Alya. Ladybug's _way_ cooler." (She might've accidentally left a spark on).

"Funny you should say that," Alya laughs, shoving her cellphone in her friend's face. "I present you—the LadyBlog and the Miraculous Chat!"

Marinette takes the phone out of Alya's hands and examines the website on the screen. The current window is the LadyBlog, with the _o_ designed to look like Ladybug's yoyo. On the right of the title is a picture of Alya, obviously the site's admin, and beneath the title are the words _Tout sur Ladybug_. A black and red silhouette of Ladybug sits on the side of the page with a black question mark over her face. There's only one post so far, which is the video Alya filmed the day before, but it has over three million views already.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Alya grins, touching the _tab_ button on the corner of the screen. "Now, check out the one I made for Chat!" She scrolls past a few more windows, tapping the screen once Chat Noir's website appears.

The Miraculous Chat is very similar to the LadyBlog, except for the fact that it's for Chat Noir. _Miraculous Chat_ is spread on the top of the page, with two cat ears over the _o_ to resemble a cat. A picture of Alya sits on the left of the title, and on top of her picture says _Tout sur Chat Noir_. A black silhouette stands on the side of the page with a black question mark over his face. The website also only has one post, which is obviously the video Alya filmed, and on the far corner, a chat window is present so that people can comment or discuss anything Chat Noir-related.

"Hey, why doesn't the LadyBlog have a chat window?" Marinette scowls. She feels rude right after those words escape her mouth because she didn't even compliment Alya for her websites before pointing out its flaws.

"The LadyBlog has an ask box instead," Alya responds. "Miraculous Chat is a pun, get it? I _had_ to add the chat window. I thought Chat would appreciate it since he loves puns."

Alya goes back to checking the updates and notifications on her phone on both websites, when she suddenly bursts out laughing.

"What? What happened?" Marinette asks, trying to take a glance at the scarlet-haired girl's phone.

"People already made up a _ship name_ for Ladybug and Chat Noir!" Alya exclaims as she continues to laugh and scroll down the chat and her ask box. "Catbug, Noirbug, LadyChat—oh, get a load of this: _LadyNoir_. Doesn't that sound good? I'm giving a shout-out to the person who made _that_ one up!"

Alya makes a new post on both blogs, and the second she taps _Post_ , Marinette notices a bunch of students pull out their phones.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are _really_ popular. Posted thirty seconds, and the post on both blogs already has over two-hundred notes! My follower count's sky-rocketing too!"

"I don't get the hype for Chat Noir though," Marinette harrumphs. "Ladybug's a lot more capable. She was the one who saved his sorry butt!"

"True, but it _did_ take her a while to join the fight. I saw her just standing on the fence of the arena," Alya defends. "And Chat Noir saved my life. He stopped a soccer net from crushing me! Just—they're just both so cool, I can't pick a side!"

"So, you really don't remember a thing?"

Marinette and Alya stop in their tracks and turn to the source of the voice to see Ivan sitting on a bench surrounded by all of their classmates. Ivan has on a look of guilt and irritation—guilt for all the damage he had done, and irritation at all the questions being thrown at him.

"You were absolutely insane, it was so _cool_ ," Juleka says with a rare grin on her face.

"You were seriously going to crush me!" Kim wails. Ivan looks up to apologize to Kim, when he freezes upon seeing Mylene standing a few feet behind the jock. Mylene looks up, and the moment they have eye contact, she turns away.

Ivan looks down and frowns. "I… I'm sorry. I wasn't myself," he says.

" _Pfft_ ," Chloe harrumphs. Everyone turns around to see the blonde leaning on a pole, and her servant-girl, Sabrina, stands right next to her. She continues in the snobbiest tone, "Once a monster, always a monster."

A scowl forms on Ivan's lips, and he gets up from his seat and storms off.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" Chloe hollers at Ivan's retreating figure.

"How could you say that?!" Alya says, marching right up to her. " _You_ 're the one we should be calling _Stoneheart_!"

"Excuse me, _I_ wasn't the one who destroyed public property and put the lives of civilians in danger," Chloe smirks. "Just because _your_ video and blog were shown on tv doesn't give you the right to be all high and mighty." The blonde then blows up a pink bubble, then pops the gum right in Alya's face, angering her more.

"Yeah, well, just because you're the Mayor's daughter doesn't give _you_ the right to be all high and mighty!" Alya retorts.

"Actually, it does," Chloe smirks. "A little word to my dad, and I can get you kicked out of the school."

"Why, you _little_ —"

"Alya, don't," Marinette says, pulling on her friend's arm. "She's not even worth it."

Nodding, Alya sends the blonde one last glare before heading in the direction of the classroom. Marinette leaves in the opposite direction, saying that she's going to try to cheer Ivan up and that she'll just meet her in class.

"Hi, Chloe."

Chloe turns at the sound of the familiar voice, and her face immediately lights up upon seeing her childhood friend, Paris's famous model, Adrien Agreste. " _ADRIKINS_! YOU CAME!" she exclaims, glomping him.

Her scream caught the attention of several students, who ran over to the pair to admire and hopefully score an autograph from _the_ Adrien Agreste.

* * *

Marinette finds Ivan curled up into a ball in the locker area with his headphones on, and she crouches down to his level. She places a hand on his shoulder, making her classmate look up at her and take his headphones off.

"Don't listen to Chloe," Marinette begins. "She's mean to everyone. Trust me, I know—being with her for four consecutive years is something worse than death."

Ivan smiles up at her sadly. "She's not the only one who thinks so…" he says, his smile turning into a frown. "Mylene does too."

"How do you know that?" Marinette asks.

"You see the way she looks at me."

Marinette shakes her head. "Just because she turns away from you doesn't mean she's afraid of you," she explains. "Mylene's shy, and I honestly believe it's because she has feelings for you too. I think you should just tell her how you feel."

"I'm not very good with words…" Ivan says, ears turning red.

"You don't need to use words," Marinette smiles. "You can write her a letter, get her some flowers, buy her a gift—"

"Write her a song?" Ivan asks, face lighting up.

"That's perfect! I'm sure she'd absolutely love it, especially since it comes from the heart," Marinette grins. "Stay positive, and I'm sure it'll all turn out right in the end."

Ivan nods. "Thank you, Marinette."

"Anytime, Ivan," she smiles, watching Ivan get up and head out of the locker area. "Good luck."

* * *

"This is your seat, Adrikins! I saved it for you," Chloe says, gesturing over to the seat in front of hers. "And my seat's right behind yours!"

"Thanks, Chloe," Adrien says, flashing her a pearly-white grin. Adrien takes his seat and immediately turns to the boy sitting next to him, known by everyone as the school's best DJ, Nino. Adrien extends his hand for him to shake, saying, "Hey, I'm Adrien. Nice to meet you!"

Nino sends him an unfriendly look, ignoring the blond's outstretched hand. "So, you're friends with Chloe, huh?" Nino says, looking past him.

Adrien turns around to see what Nino is staring at, his mouth falling open in horror at the sight before him. Chloe takes the pink bubble gum out of her mouth and gives it to Sabrina, who sticks it on the seat of the desk next to Adrien.

"Chloe, what are you doing?!" Adrien asks, standing up. He shoots her a stern look, to which Chloe responds with a scoff.

"The girls sitting her yesterday need a little attitude adjustment," Chloe answers. "I'm just commanding a bit of respect, that's all."

"Is that really necessary?" Adrien asks, shaking his head. He crouches down and attempts to take the gum off of the seat, sticking his tongue out in disgust for having to touch chewed gum.

Chloe and Sabrina take their respective seats, the former saying, "You've got a lot to learn about dealing with disrespectful people, Adrikins."

"You're being pretty disrespectful yourself," Adrien mumbles as he continues to try to remove the gum.

" _Hey_! What are you doing?!"

Adrien turns around at the voice and looks up horror-stricken to see a girl with blue eyes and black pigtails glaring down at him.

"This isn't what it looks like—" he begins. "I was only—"

Chloe and Sabrina burst into laughter, making both Adrien and Marinette turn their attention to them. Marinette scowls once realization hits her, and she spits, "All right, haha, very funny. Good job, Chloe," she says, sending Adrien a sharp look. "I see you have yourself another servant. Where'd you get this one from?"

"What'd you say?!" Adrien screams, all thought of apologizing eroding away. "For your information, I was trying to get the chewing gum—"

"I don't want to hear it," Marinette snarls, crouching down to place a white tissue over the chewed gum.

"You really shouldn't jump to conclusions, you know," Adrien scowls.

Marinette looks up at him and shoots him a glare. "Are you friends with Chloe?" she asks.

"Well, yeah—"

"Then, I'm allowed to jump to conclusions," Marinette says, turning away from him. She gets up and sits in her seat, muttering, "Now I've got two Chloe's to deal with this year…"

Adrien stomps over to his desk and sits down, grumbling incoherently.

"He looks familiar… do you have any idea where he's from?" Marinette asks Alya, who nods and begins typing away at her cellphone. Alya hands her friend the phone, whose eyes widen. "That's it! He's the son of my favorite fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste!"

"Adrien Agreste—daddy's boy, teen supermodel, _and_ best friends with Chloe?" Alya says, shaking her head. " _Ha_ , forget it."

"Why didn't you tell her that it was Chloe's idea?" Nino whispers to Adrien, who's still fuming.

"I've known Chloe since we were kids, and I know she could be mean and rude, but I can't just throw her under the bus," Adrien sighs, sinking deeper into his chair. "She's… my only friend."

Nino gives him a sympathetic smile. "If she continues to be your only friend, you definitely won't live for long," Nino laughs, extending his hand. "I'm Nino."

Smiling, Adrien shakes Nino's hand.

* * *

"Agreste, Adrien," Mme Bustier calls.

"Say _present_ ," Nino whispers to the blond.

"Oh! P-present!" Adrien says, getting up and raising his hand as high as he can. His outburst makes the class erupt in laughter, except or Marinette, who just rolls her eyes.

Mme Bustier gives him a smile, then continues once he's seated again, "Bourgeois, Chloe."

"Present."

"Bruel, Ivan—"

Stoneheart comes crashing into the room, breaking down the door in the process, and he loudly growls, " _PRESENT_!" The students in Mme Bustier's class all scream and run off to hide from the stone monster, who continuously screams, " _MYLENE_!"

Stoneheart manages to capture Mylene, who says in a trembling voice, "Put me down, Ivan!"

"I'm not Ivan anymore, I'm _Stoneheart_!"

"Daddy! The monster's here in my classroom!" Stoneheart hears Chloe say into her cellphone. He takes her in his other hand, and breaks down the wall of the classroom. The monster jumps off the thirds story, and ventures off into the streets to form his army.

"Come on, let's follow him!" Alya tells Marinette, whipping her phone out to film a video for her LadBlog and Miraculous Chat.

Marinette makes an excuse up on the spot. "N-no, no, you go! I'm going to find a safe place to hide!" she says, clutching her purse, where Tikki resides in safely.

"You're going to miss Ladybug and Chat Noir in action! Come on, Marinette!" Alya pleads. Marinette shakes her head. "Alright, I'll catch you later, then!"

Alya rushes out of the class, her cellphone tightly gripped in her hand. Marinette runs out of the class seconds after Alya does and goes into the washroom. Tikki flies out of her bag, grinning, "Spots on?"

"You bet," Marinette nods. "Chat Noir's definitely going to be there. No way am I losing to _him_."

Tikki slaps her forehead. "Oh, Marinette…"

"Tikki, transform me!"

* * *

"Just you wait, Ivan!" Chloe says, trying to squirm out of his grip. "My daddy's the Mayor of this town, and he's going to bring in the police, the army—"

"And the superhero!" Chat Noir leaps into the scene, hitting Stoneheart with his staff in the process. Chat Noir's ears droop down upon realizing what he had just done, and makes a face when Stoneheart's size doubles because of the hit.

"We have the superhero," Stoneheart says, taking a step closer to Chat Noir. "We have the police," Stoneheart kicks three police cars into orbit. "Now, all we need is the _army_!"

At this, a dozen of Stoneheart's surround Chat Noir, who bites his lip. If he can't hit them and if he can't use Cataclysm, then there's just no way he can defeat Stoneheart without Ladybug.

"Ugh, I can't believe I actually need her help…" Chat Noir says, dodging the attacks of the monsters.

Alya is filming the scene from afar, when one of the monsters catch sight of her. Alya tries to run away when a Stoneheart throws a car in her direction. Chat Noir sees this and throws his staff in her direction, only making it bounce and trapping her behind the car.

" _Shoot_ ," Chat Noir says. He's about to run in her direction when a Stoneheart grabs him and beginds carrying him away. "Hey! Let me go, you _block_ head!"

" _HELP_!" Alya screams.

Almost immediately, the car is pushed open thanks to a familiar black and red yoyo, and Alya hurriedly makes her way out. Her face brightens when she sees Ladybug walking towards her with Chat Noir's staff in hand.

"Ladybug!" Alya exclaims.

"You can't stay here, it's dangerous," Ladybug says. "Go look for a safe place to hide."

Ladybug swings off to save her rival-but-possible-partner, dodging all Stoneheart's in her way. Once she sees Chat Noir trapped in the clutches of a monster, she throws him his staff, screaming, "Chat Noir, extend it!"

Chat Noir does so obligingly, and he escapes the creature's grip in an instant. He jumps out of the way before the Stoneheart could crush him with its fist. He hops onto the roof Ladybug is standing on, shrinking his staff to the size of his arm.

"Chat Noir," Ladybug acknowledges.

"My Lady," Chat Noir says in return, making her roll her eyes.

"How many more times am I going to save your tail?" Ladybug asks.

"In my defense, my power is to destroy. So, either I double his size or kill him," Chat Noir says. "The odds are obviously in your favor for this one."

"Lucky me," she smirks, running off.

"Um, aren't you going to help me defeat the baby Stoneheart's?" Chat Noir asks, following her.

"If we want to defeat them all, we have to get to the source!" Ladybug answers. Both superheroes jump from rooftop to rooftop until they make it to the Eiffel Tower. Ivan is standing on the lowest platform, his roar echoing throughout all of Paris.

"I demand my daughter's safe return!" Mayor Bourgeois tells Stoneheart by using a megaphone.

"You want her? Then try to _catch her_!" Stoneheart throws Chloe like a baseball, making the Mayor scream in horror at the fact that he's going to witness his daughter's death before his very eyes.

But before she could hit the ground, Ladybug catches Chloe bridal style, who doesn't even utter a _thank you_ , and just runs into her father's arms.

"Ready, aim—" Lieutenant Roger begins, ordering the tanks behind him to get ready to attack Stoneheart.

" _Wait_!" Ladybug and Chat Noir scream in unison.

"Don't attack him! You _know_ it just gets bigger!" Ladybug says.

"Let the pros do their job," the policeman says. "You two have already failed once!"

Ladybug's stomach drops upon hearing this and she turns to Chat Noir melancholically. "He's right," she whispers, looking up at her rival. " _I_ was the one who broke the item that akuma was in. If I hadn't forgotten to capture it, then none of this would've happened. You were right, Chat Noir."

"Right about what?" Chat Noir asks.

"You're better off without me."

Chat Noir feels a pang of guilt hit him, and he sighs while making his way towards her. "I know what I said, but it's not completely true," he says, placing his hands on her shoulders. Ladybug looks up at him with wide eyes. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be stuck in that Stoneheart's clutches. If it weren't for you, that girl could be dead by now. In the end of the day, we're both heroes, and no matter how much we fight, just like yin and yang, we have to work together when the time calls for it."

Ladybug smiles up at him and nods. The moment is suddenly interrupted by the sound of Stoneheart hacking violently, and Ladybug and Chat Noir gasp when he coughs out a huge swarm of black butterflies. Stoneheart falls off the platform, landing in the middle of the four pillars of the Eiffel Tower. The butterflies form a face, and a dark voice echoes, "People of Paris, listen carefully—I am Hawkmoth. Ladybug, Chat Noir! Give me the Ladybug earrings and Black Cat ring now or watch the entire city _crumble_."

" _Pfft_ , nice try," Ladybug says, approaching him while clapping her hands slowly.

"Yeah, let's not reverse the roles," Chat Noir says, leaping to her side. "You're the _real_ bad guy here; don't think we're _that_ easy to fool."

Ladybug nods. "Exactly. Without you, people wouldn't have been turned into the stone monsters, and innocent lives wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"No matter how long it takes," Chat Noir says, the end of his staff glowing green. "We _will_ find you, and _you_ 'll be the one to hand us your Miraculous!"

Chat Noir runs towards the swarm of butterflies, and pole vaults himself up to catch a few butterflies with his staff. Ladybug in turn captures the remaining ones with her yoyo, and both heroes land on the lowest platform.

"Alright, Paris, listen up," Chat Noir begins. "No matter what dangers you may face, Chat Noir _or_ Ladybug will be the one to help you!"

"We will do everything in our power to keep you safe!" Ladybug finishes.

While Chat Noir holds his staff up as high as he can, Ladybug opens up her compact, and snow-white butterflies fly out of their weapons.

Ladybug and Chat Noir then leap off the platform to face Stoneheart, who only roars, "You will never take Mylene away from _me_!" He begins climbing up the Eiffel Tower, calling his stone beings to follow him to the top.

"The akuma's in the fist he's holding Mylene with, since nothing fell when he threw Chloe," Chat Noir says upon observation. "It's going to be hard to snatch it without hurting her. Any ideas, _My Lady_?"

" _Stop calling me that_ ," Ladybug grist her teeth. "Well, we know he's in love with her, so… we _don't_ separate them…!"

Chat Noir raises an eyebrow. "You lost me."

" _Idiot_ , we don't separate them, we bring them closer together!" she exclaims. "They're made for each other; they just don't know it yet!" Ladybug swings off to get to Stoneheart and Mylene, leaving behind a confused Chat Noir.

"You probably watch too many dramas," Chat Noir says, following her.

Upon reaching the top, Ladybug gets straight to the point. "LUCKY CHARM!" she exclaims, throwing her yoyo in the air. A ladybug-printed item falls into her hands, and she raises an eyebrow once she realizes what it is. "A parachute? What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Oh yeah, that's definitely one lucky charm," Chat Noir says, dodging Stoneheart's.

Ladybug scowls, putting the parachute on. "Why don't you go cast Cataclysm on yourself?" She swirls her yoyo, tying it around Stoneheart's head and arm. "Get ready for this, you two!"

Ladybug pulls on her yoyo, causing Mylene to kiss Stoneheart on the lips. Shocked, Stoneheart lets go of her, dropping his akumatized item. Mylene manages to latch onto a rocky fingertip, sighing in relief for managing to save herself, but also screaming internally due to her fear of heights.

Chat Noir sees the crumpled, violet-tainted piece of paper and stretches his staff to help him reach it. He shrinks it down once he's close enough and hits it as if he were pitching in a baseball game. Ladybug successfully catches the item with her yoyo and rips it, but before she could catch the black butterfly that emerged from it, she hears two screams. She looks down to find Mylene and Ivan falling from the Eiffel Tower and suddenly she's conflicted over what to do first—save Ivan and Mylene, or catch the butterfly?

"I got the big guy!" Chat Noir says, extending his silver staff to reach Ivan. He grabs hold of his hand, and he shrinks his staff so that the two of them are safely standing on top of the Eiffel Tower's platform.

Ladybug dives down to catch Mylene, and the moment she does, she launches her yoyo in the air and successfully catches the black butterfly. She then pulls on the string of her backpack, setting off the ladybug-printed parachute.

Ladybug and Mylene land safely on the ground, and that's when the superheroine taps her compact open to cleanse the akuma. "Bye bye, little butterfly," Ladybug says upon releasing a white butterfly. She then takes her parachute and throws it in the air, screaming, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

Magic dust fills the air, and the city of Paris is returned to its former glory.

Chat Noir and Ivan make their way to the two girls, who marvel in awe at the black and red sparkles that swirl around the area. Ladybug then walks over to Ivan and Mylene, and says, "I think you two have some things to talk about."

"M-Mylene—I, uh, it's because—" Ivan stutters, turning away, his cheeks burning.

Smiling, Ladybug hands Mylene the previously akumatized item. "I think it'd be easier if you read the lyrics of his song to you."

After scanning the paper, Mylene exclaims, "Ivan… It's beautiful! Is this what you were singing to me at school?"

"Huh? O-oh, yeah. I'm sorry if I scared you…" Ivan says, scratching the back of his head. "I-I promise to be gentler…"

With the happiest smile on her face, Mylene wraps her arms around Ivan, who freezes in place and turns a deep scarlet. Ladybug and Chat Noir watch the couple from afar with smiles on their faces.

"Pound it?" Ladybug grins, lifting her fist up.

"Just this once," Chat Noir smirks, bumping their fists together.

"So, would you say we're… partners?" Ladybug asks hopefully. Chat Noir may be a jerk, but it just felt so _right_ when they were working together. It felt as if they fit like two pieces in a puzzle, as if they connected like yin and yang, despite being opposites like the sun and moon, and light and dark.

"Partners? Chat Noir scoffs, and all thoughts about them working well with each other burned due to the rage that quickly overcame it. " _Rivals_."

"What?!" Ladybug exclaims, mouth agape. "How could you say that? There's no _I_ in _team_!"

Chat Noir smirks. "Last time I checked, there's no _we_ in _team_ either."

With that, Chat Noir gives her a two-finger salute and flees the scene, leaving being two lovebirds, and one irritated girl.

* * *

"I'm so upset!" Alya cries while walking to school side by side with Marinette. "By the time I got to the Eiffel Tower, the fight was already over! I only managed to catch Chat Noir and Ladybug's conversation before Chat left. Though I shouldn't complain—this video got almost twice the amount of views as the last."

"Oh, really?" Marinette asks, her left eye twitching at the thought of him. "Can I see?"

Nodding, Alya shows her the twenty-second clip, and Marinette's blood boils while watching it.

" _Pound it?" Ladybug grins, lifting her fist up._

" _Just this once," Chat Noir smirks, bumping their fists together._

" _So, would you say we're… partners?" Ladybug asks hopefully._

" _Partners? Chat Noir scoffs. "Rivals."_

" _What?!" Ladybug exclaims, mouth agape. "How could you say that? There's no_ I _in_ team _!"_

 _Chat Noir smirks. "Last time I checked, there's no_ we _in_ team _either_ _."_

"How did _this_ get more views than the first video?" Marinette asks.

"Don't you see the LadyNoir?" Alya grins. "Chat Noir's jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold persona even got him so many fans! The followers on my Miraculous Chat blog are _soaring_! I can practically _feel_ a war forming; Team Ladybug versus Team Chat Noir."

Marinette tries to brush off the jealousy, but it's just _not fair_. He's a jerk with _no_ heart, that's what he is.

"I'm going to find out who are the two behind the masks one day, I swear!" Alya says, entering the school building.

Marinette laughs, following her. "Good luck with that, Alya."

Moments after they entered, a car pulls up at the front of the school.

"You disobeyed me, Adrien," Gabriel Agreste says on the video screen in the car. Adrien looks her with a frown on his face, mumbling an apology. "Now, take a look at that school."

Adrien takes a sad look at École Francoise-Dupont. "Yes, father."

"…Because you will be attending as of today."

Adrien eyes widen. "Wh… what did you say?"

"We will being you there and pick you up every day," Gabriel explains. "Nathalie offered to organize your new schedule."

Adrien turns to look at Nathalie, giving her one of his brightest smiles, and he whispers to her a quiet, "Thank you." Nathalie responds by looking away, but the blond certainly didn't miss the little smile on her face.

"You will continue fencing, piano, Chinese, and photoshoots, are we clear?" Gabriel asks.

"Crystal," Adrien nods. "Thank you, father! _Thank you_!"

In class, Marinette gestures for her and Alya to sit in Marinette's usual desk, specifically the one behind Adrien and Nino. Both girls take their seats and fist bump upon sitting down and grin at each other.

"Um, you're in the wrong seat," says a snobbish voice. Marinette and Alya look up to see Chloe and Sabrina enter the classroom. "Go on, _get lost_."

" _That's it_ ," Marinette says, standing up from her seat. "I've had just about _enough_ of taking your crap, Chloe. I've let you push me around for too long now. So, take your spoiled attitude and go on, _get lost_."

The entire classroom erupts in laughter, and Chloe only scowls before making her way to the seat she vandalized the day before.

Alya gives Marinette a thumbs up once the black-haired sat back down.

Adrien enters the classroom seconds later and waves hi to Nino and Alya, who wave back. The moment he and Marinette have eye contact, they turn away from each other, both going _hmph!_ at the same time.

"Don't tell me you still didn't apologize to her," Nino says.

"She doesn't want to listen, so why should I even bother," Adrien scowls.

"Marinette's really nice once you get to know her."

Adrien takes a subtle glance at the girl behind him. "Whatever."

* * *

Marinette lets out an exasperated sigh when she sees the dark sky and the falling raindrops upon exiting the school building. She didn't bother to check the weather network this morning, so the chances of finding an umbrella inside her backpack were zero to none.

She extends her hand to check how hard the rain was pouring, frowning when it turned out to be stronger than she thought. Marinette sighs and retreats her hand, shaking it dry. She stands under the building's canopy and takes her backpack off, deciding to wait for the rain to calm down a bit before walking home.

"Hey."

Marinette turns to the source of the voice and sees Adrien standing next to her with a black umbrella in his hand. A scowl makes its way to her face, and she harrumphs and looks away from him. Adrien furrows his eyebrows at how impolite she is, dismissing all thoughts of apologizing to her. Upon seeing the limo stationed in front of the school, Adrien presses the button of his umbrella and pulls it over his head to shelter him from the falling raindrops.

He takes two steps forward, only to turn back around with an annoyed look on his face. "Alright, just so you know—I was trying to take the chewing gum _off_ your seat," he huffs.

"You… what?" Marinette falters, eyes wide. The guilt of accusing someone innocent wells in her chest, and she displays a look of horror as soon as she realizes that he's a _new_ student. Chat Noir's words echo in her mind.

" _First impressions are very important, I hope you know that."_

She doesn't want him to think that she's mean or rude, so she quickly composes herself and prepares herself to apologize to him.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Marinette exclaims, making exaggerated hand gestures. "I didn't know—I thought—"

"Well, you thought wrong," Adrien interrupts. "I hope this taught you to stop jumping to conclusions."

Marinette's left eye twitches. " _What_ —is this how you accept an apology?!" she screeches.

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts," Adrien says nonchalantly. "You're not very good at first impressions, are you? They last, you know."

"Clearly, you're not very good at them yourself!" Marinette spits back. "Honestly, I wonder just how your friends deal with you."

Marinette notices Adrien freeze, and she immediately regrets what she said. Friendship must be a sensitive subject to him.

"…I don't have any friends," he admits with a sad smile. "I guess Chloe counts as one, but I've never had any _real_ friends before. This is my first time at a school, so it's all new to me."

Marinette feels five times worse upon hearing his confession. Just as she's about to apologize again, he continues with a smirk, "But if most people here are like you, I think I'm better off on my own."

" _What_?!" Marinette cries, body shaking with anger. "You don't have to be so rude! I already said I was sorry, what more do you want?!"

"Easy there," Adrien smirks. He's about to bid her goodbye and walk to his limousine, when he notices that the rain had gotten a lot stronger. He lets out a sigh, and holds out the umbrella for her to take. He gives her a small smile and says, "Return it to me tomorrow."

Marinette eyes him suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

"Nothing," Adrien answers. "We wouldn't want you catching a cold, now would we?"

Marinette reaches out for the umbrella cautiously, and her face heats up when her hand brushed his when she grabbed the handle. She looks into his green eyes in shock, amazed at the thought that this jerk could actually be nice when he wants to. Lost in thought, she accidentally presses the button on the handle, causing the umbrella to close over her.

Adrien gasps before hugging his stomach and busting into laughter. Marinette peaks from under the umbrella with a scowl and pulls it all the way back up.

Adrien smiles at her. "See you tomorrow, klutz," he says. He turns around and walks down the steps, ignoring the raindrops that are soaking his hair and clothes.

"Klutz?! Hey, take that back, you jerk!" Marinette screams after him, and Adrien only laughs in response.

Tikki flies out of Marinette's purse, exclaiming, "You like him, don't you?"

" _Him_?" Marinette shrieks, dropping her backpack and tightening her grip on the umbrella's handle. She turns away, fuming, "Don't make me laugh!"

Halfway down the stairs, Plagg pokes his head out of Adrien's shirt, causing the blond to look down. The kwami smirks, "What a softie."

Adrien narrows his eyes at him. "Shut up."

Marinette watches her new classmate get into his car, and her eyes follow the vehicle until it's no longer in sight. She picks up her backpack and starts walking in the direction of home, the day's events replaying in her mind.

From afar, an old man and a turtle kwami watched the entire scene unfold.

"They argue even without the masks," Wayzz states, his face showing a look of uncertainty. "Are you sure about your choice, Master?"

"I'm sure," Master Fu nods.

Wayzz tilts his head to the side. "Even when they fight this much?"

"You'll see it sooner or later, Wayzz," Master Fu smiles. "Those two are made for each other."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** LadyNoir and Adrinette moments are so much more precious when they have a love/hate relationship.

I just _had_ to make that Chat Noir blog pun. Miraculous _Chat_. I'm still laughing. Anyways, thanks to those who added this story to their favorites, alerts, and to those who reviewed! I really appreciate it!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 1**  
 **Chat Noir: 0**

 _Next Episode_ : Stormy Weather


	3. Stormy Weather: Calm Before the Storm

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 03_

Stormy Weather: Calm Before the Storm

"Welcome to the finals of our kid's weather network competition!" the host of the show exclaims. "One lucky winner will be announced as our brand-new weather girl!"

A limousine parks itself in front of the show's building, and two girls exit from it, both with bright smiles on their faces.

Mireille is the name of the first girl, and she has short black hair and warm hazelnut eyes. She waves at her fans with a humble smile and eyes as they cheer her name repeatedly. The other contestant is Aurore, and she has long sunshine blonde hair and eyes as blue as the skies above. She opens up her umbrella and holds it over her shoulder to block the sun's rays, and she blows kisses and waves excitedly to her fans as she walks towards the entrance.

"We started off with five thousand contestants, and now we're down to two!" the host continues. "It's up to you, viewers, to decide _who_ our next weather girl should be!" He turns to the two contestants and gestures over to Aurore, and says, "To my right, we have Aurore Beaureal!" He then gestures to his left, saying, "And to my left, Mireille Caquet!"

The camera focuses itself back to the host, who exclaims, "Who will be our new weather girl? Vote _one_ for Aurore, and _two_ for Mireille! Take your phones out, open up your computers, and vote now!"

* * *

"Manon, get back here!"

Marinette chases a little girl in high pigtails around her house, while the tv blares loudly in the background, the host saying something about a weather girl contest. Manon jumps from couch to couch with a half-finished hat on her head, and she blows a raspberry to her babysitter.

"You can't catch me!" Manon giggles, and then proceeds to jump off the couch just as Marinette slammed into it.

"Give that hat back, it's not finished yet! You're going to ruin it!" Marinette cries desperately. She has been working on that hat for days on end—if anything were to happen to it, she might just cry.

Marinette gets up on her feet and follows Manon around the house, spotting her underneath a table. The black-haired girl ducks under the table, but Manon manages to crawl out in time, and when Marinette attempts to stand up, she hits her head on the table, groaning painfully.

"Why did I agree to this…" Marinette grumbles, getting up. At that moment, Manon runs right past her, allowing her to snatch her hat off her head.

"Hey! Give it back!" Manon says bossily. "That's mine!"

"Actually, it's mine," Marinette says, placing it on a shelf too high for Manon to reach (anything would be too high considering the little girl is half Marinette's height). The little _demon_ runs off, and takes Marinette's cellphone from the living room table.

"I'm going to vote for Mireille! She's the best!" Manon exclaims, tapping random buttons on the device.

"Hey! That's my phone!" Marinette says, approaching her. However, Manon runs off to hide, and Marinette just sags her shoulders at how incredibly _annoying_ and _exhausting_ this job is. "I should've just said no…"

"Don't worry, Marinette!" a high-pitched voice exclaims. Marinette's eyes widen when her kwami floats over her shoulder.

"Stay low, Tikki!" Marinette exclaims quietly, looking around to make sure Manon can't see the ladybug kwami. There are only so many times Tikki can pass off as a plushie.

"She won't see me," Tikki giggles. "And don't you worry—if you can handle Manon for one day, then any akumatized victim should be a piece of cake!"

 _Ding dong!_

Tikki hides the moment the doorbell sounds, and Marinette walks over to the entrance. She opens up the door to reveal a girl with scarlet hair and thick-framed glasses.

"Alya!" Marinette exclaims with a grin.

"Hey, sorry to drop by out of nowhere," Alya says, making her way into the room. "But I've got some news for you—look who's having a photoshoot at the park!" Alya takes out her cellphone to show Marinette, who glares at the screen the moment her eyes land on the picture.

It's a picture of Adrien Agreste posing with his back against a tree, leg propped up, and hands in his pockets. A man is holding up a white screen for fixing the lighting, and the photographer is sprawled on the ground to find the perfect angle for the picture.

"Are you trying to make me puke out my breakfast," Marinette says in such a monotone that it doesn't even sound like a question. She hands the phone back to her friend, and asks, "And what am I supposed to do with that knowledge?"

"Don't you want to do research on fashion photography?" Alya asks, raising an eyebrow. "If you're going to be modelling your own clothes when you become a fashion designer, you're going to have to know more about this kind of stuff."

Marinette crosses her arms. "I'd go if it were any other model. Not _him_ ," she huffs, looking away.

Alya laughs, making Marinette look up in confusion. "You guys are so funny. You and Adrien," Alya says, wiping away a tear.

"We are?" Marinette asks blinking. "What did we do?"

Alya nods. "Whenever I talk to you about Adrien, you act just like him when I talk to him about you," she laughs. "You both get so angry and irritated, and oh boy, it's just too funny. It's like you guys are made for each other."

"You did _not_ just say that," Marinette glares, but her glares fades into a look of surprise when Manon jumps in between the two.

"Who is she?" Manon asks, looking up at Alya.

"Oh, I forgot about this little detail," Marinette says with a smile. "Would you look at that—I can't got to the park anyway. I have to watch this little… _angel_."

"And who is _she_? Alya asks, waving down at the little girl, who waves back.

"This is Manon. She's the daughter of one of my mom's friends, and I'm watching her all afternoon. So, too bad—guess I'll go model-researching at the park another day," Marinette says with crossed arms, closed eyes and a victorious smile.

"The park?" Manon exclaims, and Marinette's face falls in an instant. Manon looks up at her babysitter and jumps up and down, screaming, "I want to go to the park!"

"Manon, we can't—" Marinette begins.

" _I want to go to the park_!" Manon complains childishly, making Marinette slap her forehead.

"The only way to get her to stop is to go to the park," Alya smirks. "Trust me; I've got little sisters back at home and they're as… _angelic_ as this one."

"Who are you, anyway?" Manon asks Alya with attitude. Anyone would've glared at the impolite little girl, but Alya remained unfazed. Instead, she crouches down to the girl's level, and works her magic.

"I'm a mythical unicorn from an enchanted land disguised as a _fabulous_ human being named Alya. I grant magical wishes, but only to little girls who behave!" Alya exclaims, booping Manon on the nose.

The little girl laughs. "No, you're not," she says confidently, until her smile vanishes. "…Are you?"

Alya nods, and picks her up, making Manon laugh. She then puts her back down and crouches down for Manon to climb on her back, and Marinette only watches as the two leave the room.

"Come on, Marinette! We're going to miss the photoshoot!" Alya calls out from the corridor.

Marinette sighs and exits her home, making sure to lock the door before leaving. He phone suddenly makes a _beep_ , signaling that she just received a notification. She opens it up to see Mireille's face light up on her phone with the words _Mirelle Caquet as the new weather girl_ written on top of it. Manon's vote came through, she notes, and Marinette closes her phone and puts it back in her pocket.

* * *

"Well, my day is officially ruined."

Marinette glares daggers at the boy posing in front of the water fountain in the park. It would be so much easier to hate him if he weren't so attractive. Curse his blonde hair and green eyes and tall stature and his freaking _everything_.

"So, what do we do?" Alya asks her friend, who appears as though steam could be coming out of her ears any second now.

"I ruin his photoshoot, and then no one would buy his latest magazines, which would result in him losing popularity, to which he'll get really angry over, and then everyone will get to see how _mean_ Adrien Agreste actually is!" Marinette exclaims with fire in her eyes.

"You have to calm down," Alya says, shaking her head. "That bubble gum incident was all a huge misunderstanding, and you know that."

"You didn't hear what he said to me afterwards," Marinette huffs. "He's such a jerk."

Adrien has a burning feeling in the back of his head that someone is staring at him, so he turns his head to see Alya, Marinette and Manon standing by a tree. He waves hello to Alya and Manon kindly, but makes a scowl when his eyes land on Marinette.

The photographer gives Adrien a stern look, so the blond turns back around to smile for the camera. The three girls could faintly hear the photographer say, "Your smile, it looks too fake! What happened when you turned around?!"

"Did you _see_ that?!" Marinette growls. "He _scowled_ at me!"

"If you'd just apologize to him, maybe he'd treat you better," Alya mutters.

"I did, he's just out to—"

"Ruin your life? Funny you should say that because you were plotting to ruin his just seconds ago."

Marinette squints her eyes at Alya.

While Marinette is taking notes about fashion and modelling, Manon suddenly pulls on her shirt, exclaiming, "I want a balloon with Mireille on it!"

"Not now, Manon, I have to take notes on—" Marinette begins.

" _I want one now_!" Manon complains. Her parents must spoil her too much, Marinette thinks when Manon starts throwing a temper tantrum. " _And I want to ride the merry-go-round too_!"

Before Marinette could put away her fashion notes, Alya places a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'll take care of her. You keep working," Alya smiles.

"No! I want to go with Marinette! She's my babysitter!" Manon says, stomping her foot.

"Didn't I say I'd grant wishes to nice girls?" Alya asks, holding her hand out for the little girl to take. Manon immediately stops throwing a tantrum and grabs Alya's hand, and they walk towards the balloon stand and the merry-go-round.

"Thanks, Alya!" Marinette exclaims, to which Alya responds by waving a hand.

Marinette finds a comfortable spot underneath a tree, and starts sketching a few of Adrien's poses, making a bullet list of her observations next to each of the poses. She's interrupted minutes later by the photographer, who walks up to her and says, "You! I need you to model alongside him!"

"M-me?!" Marinette screeches, making a grimace when she and Adrien have eye contact.

Adrien runs over to them and tells the photographer, "Anyone but her! Please!"

"Why not?" the photographer asks as he sinks in Marinette's features. "She has nice style, good height, and black hair and blue eyes is such a striking combination. I think she'll do well. You two would look nice together."

Adrien and Marinette choke on their spit.

"I don't think I'm cut out for—" Marinette begins.

"I'll pay you plenty," the photographer iterrupts.

"Deal," she replies hastily, making Adrien give her a look of disbelief. Marinette walks next to him and smirks, "What? Are you afraid that I'll take away all the attention?"

"You wish," Adrien answers back, striking a pose. Just as Marinette could pose similarly, someone screams, " _HELP_!" from the other side of the park.

Marinette sees Alya and Manon in the merry-go-round, and she gasps in horror when she sees a flying girl clad in lilac and violet. With a whip of her umbrella, ice surrounds the merry-go-round, trapping the two girls in the ride.

Without saying goodbye to Adrien, Marinette runs off to hide behind a park bench. She looks around to make sure the coast is clear, and when it surely is, she opens up her purse to let Tikki out.

"Hurry, before Chat Noir comes!" Marinette says, making Tikki shakes her head. This rivalry of theirs is getting a little out of hand.

"Focus on saving the day instead of winning," Tikki says.

"I'll do both," Marinette says. "Tikki, transform me!"

Her first stop is the merry-go-round. While running, Ladybug whispers to herself, "Why did I leave Manon alone? She was _my_ responsibility, not Alya's."

Seeing that there's no way her yoyo could cut through the ice, she walks over to where Alya and Manon are standing.

"I'll get you two out of there!" Ladybug screams loud enough for them to hear.

"I'm stuck again?! I need to take a video for my blog!" Alya cries. "I should be ashamed to even call myself their biggest fans if I can't even capture the whole fight!"

Ladybug laughs. "Don't worry, you'll get it next time," she says.

"Where's Marinette…?" Manon suddenly asks. "Is she okay? Does she know me and Alya are here?"

"Marinette's… is a bit of a situation right now," Ladybug says, laughing nervously. "I'll be sure to save her, so don't you two worry!"

With that, Ladybug launches her yoyo at a building, and flies off to find the akumatized victim.

* * *

Adrien runs over to his backpack and opens it up to hopefully find Plagg sitting inside of it, gasping the black cat kwami isn't."Plagg! Where are you?! We have to save the day!" Adrien calls out.

"Sorry, kid. I'm sleeping!" came the muffled reply. Adrien takes out a slice of Camembert cheese, which unsurprisingly makes Plagg come out of his hiding spot. The kwami flies over to it and says, "For your information, I _can_ smell Camembert in my sleep. I'm very talented, just so you know."

"Amazing," Adrien replies sarcastically, dropping the cheese, and Plagg falls along with it. "Now, come on—we have to beat Ladybug! Plagg, transform me!"

One transformation sequence later, Chat Noir hops from fence to fence until he's close enough to talk to the akumatized villain. He lands at the top of the park gate's rails, and when the villain throws the gate open with her umbrella, he calls out, "Hey, Ice Queen."

She looks up at the cat and glares up at him. "Ice Queen?" she echoes.

"Yeah, you. What's with all the terrorizing?" Chat Noir smirks. "Why don't you pick on someone your own temperature?"

"My name isn't Ice Queen, it's _Stormy Weather_!" she screams.

"Listen," Chat says, sliding down the rails while swinging his cat tail. "I'm _feline_ more generous than usual today, so _cool down_ and we'll just call it quits for the day, what do you say?"

Unimpressed at his version of flirting and slightly nauseous from all the puns, Stormy Weather opens her umbrella in his direction, sending a flurry of wind in his direction and knocking him off his feet—literally.

Chat Noir screams as he's thrown to the other side of town, and he hits a bunch of cars in the way, this action similar to that of a pinball machine game. He's lying on the ground with an annoyed expression on his face, and Ladybug comes running to his side once she's done laughing at the sight of him.

"I thought cats always landed on their feet," Ladybug smirks, reaching a hand out to help him up. Chat Noir pushes her generous offer away and stands on his own, earning him a scowl.

"Thank you, but no thank you, My Lady," he smirks when she grimaces. "Head's up—this villain has a storm swirling inside of her."

Ladybug facepalms. "Please tell me there's a real meaning behind that," she says.

"There is, actually," Chat Noir says, pointing up at a sign of Mireille Caquet. "Stormy Weather might just be Aurore Beaureal. She must've been akumatized after losing against Mireille."

"My name isn't Aurore Beaureal anymore," Stormy Weather interrupts, hitting the tip of her umbrella against the concrete. "It's _Stormy Weather_!"

The akumatized victim throws her umbrella upwards, where a bolt of lightning strikes out of it and into the sky. The blue sky turns into a dark gray, and thunder roars loudly throughout the city of Paris. A bolt of lightning is headed in the two superheroes' way, but Chat Noir pushes both him and Ladybug out of the way. They roll over multiple times, and Chat Noir ends up on top of Ladybug when they land on the stone ground.

"GET OFF!" Ladybug shrieks in horror, face red with anger and embarrassment.

"DID YOU THINK I DID THAT ON PURPOSE?!" Chat Noir screams back, getting up and dusting himself off. He turns to Stormy Weather, gritting his teeth, "You're going to pay for that! I don't even want to be seen with her, let alone _touch_ her!"

Chat Noir starts running in Stormy Weather's direction, but she shoots the street with a zap of her umbrella, turning it into ice. She then swings her umbrella like she's pitching in a baseball game, sending a strong gust of wind in the heroes' direction.

Ladybug throws her yoyo, wrapping it around the pole of a street lamp to prevent her from being carried away by the wind. She sees Chat Noir tumbling in the air, and luckily manages to grab hold of his cat tail. When the wind ceases, they fall flat on their faces.

"Ow…" Chat Noir groans, getting up. "And you saved me because…?"

"I'm just returning the favor. Don't even dare to think it means anything more," Ladybug scoffs, crossing her arms.

Ladybug and Chat Noir look up to see Stormy Weather sending cars and billboards flying all over the streets. She destroys every Mireille merchandise or advertisement she comes across, only strengthening Ladybug and Chat Noir's suspicions of her being Aurore Beaureal.

"I'm going to knock the _wind_ right out of her!" Chat Noir says, ready to charge at his opponent. Ladybug, however, pulls him by the tail before he could run to her.

"Think before you do something, would you?" Ladybug asks, rolling her eyes.

"Mind you—I've got this under control," Chat Noir winks mockingly before running off to fight Stormy Weather. Ladybug watches him come rolling back pathetically after being tossed aside by a gust of wind. Chat Noir falls in front of her, face up, and he asks with a straight face, "I lay corrected."

"We're going to have to attack her from behind," Ladybug says.

"Or get that umbrella away from her," Chat Noir says while getting up, and his eyes light up. "The akuma must be in her umbrella!"

Stormy Weather flies off before they could even pull anything on her, leaving both heroes frustrated.

"She has one bad temper," Chat Noir says, making Ladybug groan.

"Your puns are terrible," she says, sending him a glare. "You seriously have to stop."

"Just because _you_ don't like them doesn't mean I have to stop," he replies. "My fans appreciate them very much."

"Those stupid teams…"

The television screen on one of the buildings suddenly turns on to reveal Stormy Weather standing in front of a news network background. "Hello, viewers," she grins evilly. "Here's the latest forecast for the first day of summer—" An outline of the country of France appears on the screen. "Looks like Mother Nature has a change of plans… Summer vacation is _over_!"

"Just _great_ ," Chat Noir groans, scratching his head as if it were full of ants. "I was really looking forward to summer vacation too." Snow begins falling from the sky, and both heroes shiver at the chilly air. "I'm getting this done now before I _cat_ ch a cold."

With that, Chat Noir runs off in the direction of the tv studio to defeat Stormy Weather once and for all. Ladybug follows behind, and almost calls out for him to wait, until she remembers that they aren't a team.

By the time she makes it to the studio, Chat Noir is already there, but he's standing in the middle of an empty studio.

"It's a recording," Chat Noir says flatly.

A laugh resounds behind them, and Chat Noir and Ladybug turn around to see Stormy Weather standing by the entrance of the studio. She sends a bolt of lightning flying out of her umbrella, and it hits one of the studio lights, sending it falling. Chat Noir and Ladybug jump out of the way just in time, but this attack causes all the lights in the building to shut down.

"I can't see anything," Ladybug complains. Through his night vision, Chat Noir could see her tripping over some of the pieces of the studio lights.

" _Ha_ , I can. Night vision," Chat Noir says, pointing at his mask. "Well, I'm off to save the day. See you later, My Lady."

"So, you're just going to leave me here?!" Ladybug screeches, punching the air in hopes of punching him. "Just wait until the lights go back on—"

"Chill out, I'm just _kitten_ ," he says, taking her hand and leading the way.

"Two puns in one sentence?" Ladybug groans. "You're really starting to get on my nerves."

"I thought I already was on your nerves," Chat Noir smirks as they run up the stairs. He follows the akumatized victim all the way to the roof, where they kick the door open to reveal Stormy Weather floating meters above the roof.

"You airheads, you fell right into my trap!" she exclaims, laughing. The villain twirls her umbrella around, forming a snow tornado around them. "There's no way out! Hand over your Miraculous, or you'll get it!"

"Think again—" Chat Noir begins when his eyes suddenly land on his and Ladybug's interlocked hands. He releases his hand first and shakes it. "Let me go!"

"What?! _You_ were the one holding _my_ hand!" Ladybug argues.

"Because _you_ can't see in the dark, and I couldn't just leave you down there! Do I _always_ have to be your knight in shining armor?"

"You don't have to be _anything_ for me!"

"Good, I'm finishing this off then," Chat Noir grins, cracking his knuckles. He throws his hand up in the air, and exclaims, "CATACLYSM!"

His hand emanates a black, bubble-ish glow, and Chat Noir scans his surroundings to try to find a way to defeat her. Once he's sure of his place, he calls out to Stormy Weather, "Hey, Second Place! _Cat_ ch me if you can!"

The words _Second Place_ makes a vein pop in the villain's forehead, and she shoots bolts of lightning in his direction to shock him. However, Chat Noir is too agile, and he dodges all of her attacks flawlessly.

Stormy Weather zaps the roof, creating a skating rink, allowing Chat Noir to slide around the entire rooftop and cast Cataclysm along every Aurore and Mireille sign standing on the roof of the building. Each of the signs fall and trap the akumatized victim underneath, who reacts by making a hole in one of the signs to try and escape.

Seeing past her plan, Ladybug flings her yoyo at her leg, grinning when it wraps around her tightly. Ladybug proceeds to tie her yoyo around one of the pipes so that there would be no way their opponent could escape.

While flying off, Stormy Weather suddenly jerks in the air, and the surprise of being pulled back makes her unintentionally let go of her umbrella. Her weapon falls into Chat Noir's hands, and he smashes it against the floor of the roof, thus breaking it in half.

Chat Noir takes his staff out and extends it, grinning when a bright green sphere forms at the tip. He twirls it around in the air before catching the black butterfly with the ball of energy, grinning victoriously at his lucky capture. He then hits the other end of his staff against the ground, and a white butterfly flies out of the glowing ball.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," Chat Noir says as he watches the butterfly fly off. He holds his weapon up high and screams, "MIRACULOUS CHAT!"

The tip of his staff glows green once more and a burst of light emerges from it, enveloping Paris in warmth and magic dust. Everything that has been affected by the akuma attack goes back to normal, and Aurore Beaureal asks aloud, "What am I doing up here?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir approach each other, the former with an annoyed look on her face, and the latter with a wide grin.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," Ladybug says. "You were making fun of me, weren't you?"

"I'd be lying if I said no," Chat Noir snickers. "Well, that's two points for Chat Noir and one for Ladybug."

"What?! How do you have two?!" Ladybug argues.

"We worked together on Stoneheart, remember?" Chat Noir asks. "I baseball'd the akumatized weapon in your direction, when I could've easily captured it on my own. We were a team that one time, and now, we're both solo. So, it's either Chat Noir _one_ , and Ladybug _one_ — _or_ Chat Noir _two_ , and Ladybug _one_. I'll be honest and say the latter is more fair."

"How is it—" Ladybug begins.

"Hear me out," Chat Noir smirks. "If our roles were reversed, you'd agree to the latter one hundred percent because _you_ get an extra point."

He's right, so Ladybug doesn't say a word and only glares at the boy, who smiles down at her lazily. They're having a silent stare down, until a _beep_ suddenly resounds from Chat Noir's ring, signaling his near de-transformation.

"Well, I'm going to break the ice and take my leave right now," he says, bowing down to her mockingly. "Until next time, My Lady."

Chat Noir laughs as he runs off when he hears Ladybug scream after him, " _Stop calling me that_!"

* * *

Back at the park, Marinette runs over to Alya and Manon, to which the latter greets her by running up to her and into her arms. Manon hugs her babysitter tightly, grinning, "Did Ladybug save you, Marinette?"

"Of course she did, Manon," Marinette says, but her smile turns into a frown at the thought of Chat Noir. "But she unfortunately didn't win the fight this time…"

"Chat Noir captured the akuma? _No_ , I wanted to see how he captures akumas with a staff!" Alya cries as she takes out her phone. She reads aloud while typing, "Listen up, Team Chat! I unfortunately don't have any footage of the fight this time around, but Chat Noir is the one who captured the akuma and saved the day! That's right, but how does he catch an akuma with a staff?"

Alya finishes typing down her entire two hundred-word post, and begins writing the one for her LadyBlog. She turns to Marinette, asking, "Hey, would you say Ladybug has one point, and Chat has two— _or_ Ladybug has one point, and Chat has one?"

Gritting her teeth, Marinette answers, "Ladybug, _one_. Chat Noir, _two_."

"Thank you!"

While Alya explains to Marinette about the tally board she just added onto the LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat, Manon tugs on Marinette's shirt.

"What is it, Manon?" the babysitter asks, looking down at the little girl, who is staring straight ahead.

"That person is looking at you," Manon says, pointing forward.

Marinette turns around and groans when she sees Adrien and the photographer looking in her direction. While the photographer is gesturing her over, Adrien is making faces at her. For someone as attractive as Adrien Agreste, he sure can make _ugly_ faces.

"Wish me luck," Marinette says, scowling as she makes her way over to them.

"Don't hurt each other," Alya says, taking Manon away from Marinette's arms. "Seriously, don't."

Sighing, Marinette tells the photographer, "I'm ready for the photoshoot."

" _Perfecto_!" he exclaims, dragging her next to Adrien. "I need the _romance_! Hold hands—hug—you, Girl—kiss him on the _cheek_!"

Adrien and Marinette turn to each other and stick their tongues out at each other.

"Me, kiss him?!"

"Her, kiss me?!"

Adrien and Marinette shake their heads, exclaiming, " _No way_!"

 _Snap! Snap! Snap!_

"Adrien, Girl, please sto—NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I NEED _ROMANCE_ , NOT _HATE_!"

The first picture the photographer snaps is a picture of Adrien running and laughing, while Marinette chases him with fire in her eyes.

The second picture is of a drenched Adrien standing in the fountain and a laughing and pointing Marinette on dry land.

The third picture is of the two in the fountain, both drenched, but Adrien is the one laughing and pointing this time.

The fourth picture is of the two pointing and yelling at each other, both drenched and standing in the fountain, and it appears as if the picture was snapped in the middle of a heated argument.

Alya shakes her head at the sight of the bickering couple and the photographer crying on the ground. She feels someone tugging at the end of her shirt, and she looks down to see Manon looking up at her with a confused look on her face.

"Is he Marinette's boyfriend, Alya?" Manon asks innocently. "They don't look like they like each other very much."

"Really?" Alya laughs, turning away to look at Adrien and Marinette once more. "To me, it's clear as day."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** The pictures I described in the end makes me ship them even more.

THE HOLDING HANDS SCENE BUT LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP AND THE ROLL-OVER MOMENT I'M DEAD. WHY ISN'T MIRACULOUS LADYBUG ACTUALLY LIKE THIS I'M CRYING PAPAPILLON WHY. (And I have a reason why the Akuma Capture board went up by one; you'll see sooner or later).

Thank you to all those who added this story to their favorites and alerts, and a huge thanks to those who reviewed! Thank you for letting me know what you think of the story so far, it really does give me the motivation to keep writing. ;w;

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
** **Ladybug: 1  
Chat Noir: 2**

 _Next Episode: The Bubbler_


	4. The Bubbler: Happy Birthday

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 04_

The Bubbler: Happy Birthday

"Happy birthday, Adrien!"

Adrien is brushing his teeth when Plagg flies over to him with his "present". The black cat kwami has in his hands a slice of Camembert cheese with a red ribbon over it, and he presents it to his holder with a happy grin on his face. Adrien spits out the frothy toothpaste before pinching his nose and sticking his tongue out.

"Augh, Plagg! Get that gross slice of cheese out of my face!" Adrien exclaims. The smell of it seems to be getting worse and worse each passing day. Out of all the foods in the world, Plagg just had to like the smelliest one of all.

"If you say so," Plagg grins, eating the slice of cheese in one bite. "So, how old are you, kid? Thirteen? No, wait— _twelve_ , right?"

Adrien gargles and spits out his mouth rinse. After wiping his mouth with a towel, he tells his kwami, "Sixteen. I'm not _that_ young!"

"I was close enough," Plagg shrugs, burping out the red ribbon tied around the cheese he just ate.

Adrien glares down at the crumpled and saliva-covered red ribbon on the floor, and then he looks up and says with a straight face on, "You're cleaning that up."

After getting all dressed and fixing himself up, Adrien makes his way downstairs and is met with an empty dining room and his usual-and-nothing-special breakfast at the end of the table.

"Happy birthday to me," he sighs, taking his seat.

Adrien eats his breakfast slowly with a frown on his face the entire time because it's the—what, fifth year in a row?—that his father didn't even care to take time out of his schedule to celebrate his birthday with him. Adrien _knows_ his father is busy, but all he asks is for one day. Heck, he'd even take ten minutes.

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of heels clinking against the marble's floors, and when he looks up, Nathalie is standing next to him with a tablet in her hands.

"Your schedule for today," is all she says. She hands him the tablet, her expression unchanging.

"Thanks, Nathalie," Adrien says quietly, taking the tablet out of her hands. Nathalie nods and begins walking away, until Adrien stops her. "W-wait." Nathalie stops in her tracks. "Did… did my father say anything about my birthday party?"

"Well… he…" Nathalie sighs, and then turns around to give the boy an apologetic look. Nathalie rarely ever expresses emotion, so Adrien already knows that it's bad news. "He… doesn't want you to have one. I'm sorry."

Adrien sighs. "I knew it. Thanks for asking him, though."

Nathalie gives him a small smile. "Happy birthday, Adrien."

* * *

"Dude, seriously?!" Nino exclaims.

He and Adrien are standing outside the school, the former blowing bubbles into the air and the latter displaying a look of sadness.

Morning went by quicker than Adrien could imagine, and it was already lunch break by the time he realized it. His day so far was filled with girls greeting him "happy birthday" and asking him for an autograph afterwards. The guys only gave him a quick greeting before heading home, and Adrien's frown couldn't get any deeper. It was like any normal day—a day everyone would just brush off as unimportant.

"Has your dad always been this strict?" Nino asks, putting his bottle of bubbles away.

"For as long as I can remember," Adrien lies. His father only started being this way ever since his mother "disappeared". He was hoping that his first time in a public school would make his birthday a little more different. He sighs, "At least I tried."

"Trying isn't enough, man!" Nino says, throwing an arm around Adrien's shoulder. "It's your birthday! _Insist_!" An idea then pops into Nino's mind, and he grins, "Hey, why don't _I_ ask him instead? You know, like that thing we all did as kids, 'my parents will say no if it's me, but they'll say yes if it's you'?"

"It's not that easy, Nino," Adrien frowns. "Whoever asks, it's always a no."

"It's worth a try," Nino grins, giving him a thumbs up. "Anything for you, man. I'm going to make sure you have the best birthday ever—"

"Hey, jerk."

Adrien and Nino turn to the source of the voice to find Marinette standing in front of them with her hands behind her back. She has on a fierce look on her face, and Adrien copies it the moment they have eye contact.

"What is it, klutz?" Adrien replies with equal spite. However, his face softens when Marinette presents him a baby blue-colored gift box with a pink ribbon over it. "Is this…?"

"A gift?" Marinette asks, looking away. "Yes, but don't think this means anything. I get everyone—well, except Chloe and Sabrina—birthday gifts. And since this _is_ your first time in a public school, I thought I'd at least give you something. Happy birthday, Adrien."

Adrien takes the present out of her hands and looks down at it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Marinette is expecting him to say "thank you" for once, but the jerk instead says with a smirk, "You know, I'm starting to think you like me."

" _What_?!" Marinette fumes, clenching her fists. "Do you want to _die_?"

"By your hands? Any day," he mocks. Just as he's about to unwrap it, Marinette snatches it out of his hands angrily. Adrien's face turns into a look of surprise and sadness as he exclaims, "Hey, why are you taking it back?!"

"I _knew_ it was a waste of time to make this for you," Marinette huffs, stuffing the gift in her bag. "I'm such an idiot for thinking you'd be even the _slightest_ bit grateful—"

"Make?" Adrien echoes, cutting the black-haired girl off. "You… _made_ me a gift?"

"Yes. Any gift is more special if it's hand-crafted, no?" Marinette says, zipping her backpack shut. "But you definitely don't deserve this."

Adrien clenches his fists. Out of all people, _Marinette_ is the one to get him a gift. Despite all their arguments and bad first impressions, she still took time out of her day to make him something. It was going to be his first birthday present since his mother's disappearance, and Adrien just had to go ruin it with his big mouth.

"Yeah? Well, who'd want a gift from _you_ , anyway?" Adrien spits. Nino's mouth falls open and a look of disappointment is clearly expressed in his eyes.

"And who'd want to give _you_ a gift, anyway?" Marinette retorts. This causes Alya to run out of her hiding place and stand in between the two.

" _Oh-kay_ , that's enough," Alya says, trying to calm them down. "She doesn't mean that."

"And neither does he," Nino apologizes for Adrien. "He's actually really thankful for that gift you—"

"Happy birthday, Adrikins!" an all-too-familiar voice exclaims from behind them. Adrien, Marinette, Nino and Alya turn around to see Chloe standing at the top of the stairs with a wide grin on her face and heart-shaped eyes. The blonde runs down the stairs and leaps into Adrien's arms, planting a kiss on his cheek. Marinette doesn't know why, but the sight of Chloe kissing Adrien makes her blood boil.

Adrien laughs uncomfortably at her affection. "Thanks, Chloe," he says.

"Did you get the gift I sent you?" Chloe asks, one of her legs obviously attempting to kick Marinette out of the way. Marinette scowls at the blonde's actions.

"Let's go, Alya!" Marinette huffs as she storms off. "Let's leave those two lovebirds alone!"

"But his gift—" Alya begins.

"I'm not giving it to him anymore!"

Alya slaps her forehead at their stubbornness, and greets Adrien a happy birthday before running off to follow her fuming friend. The scarlet-haired girl tries to talk some sense into Marinette, and only sighs when she starts ranting about Adrien and gifts and hard work and everything.

Seconds after they left, a limousine parks itself in front of the school. Chloe takes this as her cue to leave, and Adrien turns to Nino and tells him, "I have to go. Photoshoot."

Adrien gets inside the vehicle, and the moment it leaves, Nino takes this time as an opportunity to ask Gabriel Agreste if Adrien can have a birthday party with his classmates. He heads off in the direction of the Agreste mansion with confident strides and a confident smile.

* * *

"You have to learn how to control your temper around him," Alya scolds.

She and Marinette are standing in front of the Agreste mansion, trying to figure out how to open up the mailbox. If she's just going to be all angry and upset while giving her gift to Adrien, Alya suggests that she just drop it off at his home instead.

"Now, it's just embarrassing because you just told him that you're not giving him the gift," Alya shakes her head.

"It's his fault and you know that," Marinette pouts, hitting the mailbox with her fist. "He could've said thank you. Does he even know what _manners_ are? Now, how do you open this thing…?"

Alya rings the doorbell without letting Marinette know beforehand, and a circular webcam-looking thing pops out of the wall above the mailbox.

"Can I help you?" asks a robotic voice.

"U-uh, yes!" Marinette stammers. "I'm in Adrien's class and I've come to deliver him a birthday gift. If that's all right, I mean."

"Put it in the box," the voice instructs, and the mailbox opens up. Marinette slides the gift in there, and thanks the person before the webcam disappears behind the wall once more.

"He better like it," Marinette mumbles.

* * *

Nino looks up at the Agreste mansion, gulping. He musters up his courage and rings the doorbell, awaiting an answer. A webcam-looking ting pops out of the wall and a monotonous voice asks, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, uh, I'm Nino. I'm in Adrien's class," Nino answers, and he feels his confidence diminishing each passing second. "If it's possible, I'd like to talk to Mr Agreste, please."

The gates open up, and the voice tells him, "Come on in."

Nino walks past the gates and admires the beautiful outdoor garden. Flowers of all sorts are blooming fresh with drops of dew, and he marvels at the sight of mansion's design. The front door swings open, and the inside is just as glorious as the outside.

A woman with black hair and a red streak walks into the room. She presents herself as Nathalie, and stays quiet after she does. The silence is over-whelming, but Nino waits patiently for Gabriel Agreste to come downstairs.

"Adrien isn't home yet," Mr Agreste says once he walks down the stairs. Nino observes the older man's features—perfect posture, not a single wrinkle in his suit, fixed hair, stern look. Adrien wasn't kidding when he said that his father looked intimidating. Nino feels like he's being judges for his every move—this even makes breathing hard.

"I-I actually came to see you, Sir," Nino says as politely as he can. He takes his baseball cap off the instant he notices he's still wearing it.

"Is that so?" Gabriel Agreste asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Nino nods. "I know that you don't allow Adrien to have birthday parties, but… it's his first birthday since he's attended public school, so maybe just this once, you'd let him?"

"No," Mr Agreste's answer is sharp and straight-forward—it sends chills down Nino's spine. "And that's final."

"Please give it a second thought," Nino pleads. "Adrien is a great student and he does everything you want him to without question! He gets straight A's even though he has so much on the side, like photoshoots, fencing, Chinese and piano! He deserves this one day, don't you think?"

"Nino?" Nino turns around to see Adrien by the entrance with a smile on his face. The blond walks up to his friend and places a hand on his shoulder. "You're here?"

"Anything for my best bud," Nino grins. He then turns to Adrien's father once more and asks, "Please, Sir? Just this once and I'll never ask you for anything ever again."

Gabriel Agreste glares at the boy and Adrien's smile fades when he sees his father's expression.

"Forget it, Nino," Adrien sighs.

"Listen, young man," Mr Agreste begins, making shivers run down Nino's entire body. "I decide what's best for my son. In fact, I've just decided that you're a bad influence to him and you're not welcome into my home ever again. _Leave now_!"

"Father!" Adrien cries in horror. "He was just trying to do something great for me!"

Nathalie walks in front of the two boys. In a monotone, she tells Adrien's friend, "Goodbye." Nino clenches his fists and storms out of the mansion, but Adrien immediately runs to his side.

"Nino, wait!" Adrien cries. Nino stops in his tracks, and Adrien looks down at the ground sadly. "I'm sorry about my father. He's really strict and stubborn. It's just best to stay out of his way."

"It's not fair, Adrien!" Nino exclaims, taking his bottle of bubbles out of his bag. "I just wanted you to enjoy your birthday…"

Nino marches down the stairs, and doesn't even look back when Adrien says, "Thanks anyway, Nino."

Adrien closes the door and makes his way to the dining room to eat his lunch. Nathalie comes in a few seconds later and tells him his day's schedule, but Adrien doesn't pay attention to a single word she's saying.

He sighs.

"Happy birthday to me."

Nathalie leaves the room once she's done reading his schedule to him, and Adrien eats his meal slowly and sadly. Once he's done, he picks up his school bag and makes his way to the entrance of his house, ready for another typical afternoon at school.

However, the moment he swings open the door, he gasps when he sees his classmates standing outside. They all scream, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" to him, and Adrien smiles radiantly at the surprise.

"Happy birthday, dude!"

Adrien looks up and his eyes widen when he sees someone standing on top of an over-sized, purplish bubble. The boy has blue skin, and he has on the weirdest attire consisting of the colors red, blue, yellow and dark gray.

"N-Nino?!" Adrien gasps, dropping his bag.

" _Bubbler_ 's the name now!" the akumatized victim says proudly. "I did you a favor and got rid of your uptight father for you. Now, you're definitely going to have an unforgettable birthday!" The Bubbler gestures over to their classmates. "I even brought everyone along to come celebrate. Let's get this party started!"

The Bubbler makes a flip in the air and lands behind a DJ booth. He starts making music and everyone in the crowd begins to dance and celebrate—except the birthday boy himself. Adrien runs back inside his mansion and up the stairs into his bedroom. He shuts the door behind him and looks down at his ring hesitantly.

"What's the problem, kid?" Plagg asks, flying out of Adrien's shirt. "You wanted a birthday party, and you got one. I don't see what's so bad."

"But Nino's been akumatized," Adrien frowns, clenching the fist his ring is on. "I have to help him."

"Come on, let's have some fun!" Plagg exclaims. "You may never get this chance again!"

"I know, but…"

"Alright, here—let's make a deal," the kwami offers. "Let's go party, but the moment Ladybug shows up, we'll go transform and save the day. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good," Adrien beams, his face evidently lighting up. "This could be the only time I can do something _I_ want to do!"

Adrien opens up his bedroom door and races down the stairs, eager to experience his first birthday party in years.

* * *

"No sign of Chat Noir," Ladybug says as she looks over Paris on a rooftop. "Good thing. Maybe I'll be the one to get a tally mark this time."

Ladybug hops from roof to roof, and almost loses her footing when fireworks fly up into the sky and blow up a little too close to the bubbles in the sky that have parents trapped inside of them. (Talk about nightmare fuel). Ladybug makes her way to where the bubbles are shooting from, and she finds herself standing on the fence of the Agreste mansion.

"Bubbler," she says under her breath.

Just as she's about to perform a sneak attack, a slow-dancing couple catches her eye. Adrien has his hands around Chloe's waist, who has her arms wrapped around his neck. Ladybug's face turns red with anger when Chloe gets on her tippy-toes and attempts to plant a kiss on his lips.

"This is a joke, right?" Ladybug grimaces. "As much as I hate him, I can't let that happen. LUCKY CHARM!" She throws her yoyo in the air, and what falls into her hands is a ladybug-printed record. "A record?" She scans her surroundings and after memorizing the pattern, she throws the disk like a frisbee, which lands in the DJ booth, switching the song from slow to upbeat.

Ladybug watches in victory as Adrien separates himself from Chloe before she could kiss him. The Bubbler complains, "Who messed with my songs?!"

Before Ladybug could answer, her earrings beep, signaling her near de-transformation. She jumps off the fence and transforms in mid-air before landing on the ground. An exhausted Tikki falls into her hands, and the kwami scolds her wielder, "Marinette, you _know_ you can only use you Lucky Charm for emergencies."

"It _was_ an emergency," Marinette defends, looking left and right to make sure no one was around to catch her talking to Tikki. When the coast was clear, she looked back down at her kwami. "Who'd want to lose their first kiss to Chloe?"

"Are you sure it wasn't because you're jealous?" Tikki asks, a little smirk tugging her lips.

"Me, _jealous_?" Marinette scoffs, turning away stubbornly. "As if!"

"If you say so," Tikki says with a shrug. "It's going to take some time for me to recharge though."

"I saw some cookies on the snack table," Marinette tells her. "The Bubbler isn't going anywhere, so you'll be able to recharge and we'll get right back out there. I'm surprised Chat Noir isn't here though…"

Shrugging, Marinette puts Tikki in her purse and closes it before making her way to the outdoor party. She immediately runs to the table and stuffs three or four cookies in her purse for Tikki to eat.

"Marinette!"

Marinette turns around at the call of her name to see Alya running up to her with open arms. She runs up to her friend with arms open as well and they both hug, crying, "I thought something bad happened to you!"

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Alya says. "Looks like Nino got akumatized, but I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here to save the day. They always do."

"HEY, PARIS! HOW ARE YOU DOING?"

Alya and Marinette look up to see Adrien standing on the stage with a microphone in hand and a smile that could light up the whole city.

"I've never seen him look so happy before…" Marinette says absent-mindedly.

The crowd doesn't cheer, making Adrien's face fall slightly, but once Bubbler sends them all a threatening look, the crowd proceeds to cheer and put their hands up in the air. While Alya is distracted, Marinette manages to sneak off into the mansion to transform.

"Tikki! Transform me!" Marinette says upon entering an empty room.

After transforming, Ladybug jumps out the window and makes her way outside. She lands on top of the fence she was on earlier, and screams, "Party's over, Bubbler!" She throws her yoyo, which hits the cables and unplugs the stereos, thus stopping the music.

"Why do you have to be such a party pooper?" Bubbler complains childishly.

"You made all the adults disappear," Ladybug says. "And now you're imprisoning anyone who isn't having fun."

"We _were_ all having fun, until you same!" Bubbler snarls, taking his weapon—an over-sized bubble blower—and sends a huge purplish bubble her way. Ladybug pops it with her yoyo, and continues to do so to the next ten bubbles he throws at her.

Alya films the entire sight from her hiding spot, but she looks around the place, asking herself quietly, "Where's Chat Noir?"

* * *

"Alright, Plagg! A deal's a deal," Adrien says, punching the air. "Transform me!"

Adrien transforms into Chat Noir, and heads right out the door to save the day before Ladybug could. There's no way he's letting her win a point on the tally board; he's currently on the lead and he's planning on keeping it this way.

Chat Noir makes it out in time to see Ladybug's yoyo bounce right off the Bubbler's bubble. He takes his staff and swings it, sending her yoyo flying in the air.

"Looks like I made it just in time," Chat Noir grins.

"For your information," Ladybug begins. Her yoyo falls back down, and hits Chat Noir on the top of his head, who cries out in pain. "I had it all under control."

Seeing the two superheroes together, Bubbler spins around and sends a flurry of little bubbles at them. Ladybug and Chat Noir manage to dodge each one of them, smiling victoriously when the bubbles start flying away. Predicting this would happen, the Bubbler snaps his fingers and a tornado of pinkish bubbles surround both heroes. The tornado slowly fades away, revealing a greenish bubble this time, and Ladybug and Chat Noir find themselves trapped inside of it.

"Give me your Miraculouses before you run out of air," the Bubbler orders.

"Sorry to _burst your bubble_ ," Chat Noir says, earning him a groan and a roll of the eyes from Ladybug. "But that's never happening!"

"You're both such party poopers, just like adults," the akumatized victim says. "Let's get rid of you guys too, shall we?"

"Kids _need_ adults," Ladybug screams, hitting the surface of the bubble as an attempt to get out.

"False," the Bubbler says. "Kids need freedom! Adults just mess things up and stop us from having fun!"

"But adults keep children safe and protected! They're only doing that for our own good! They care for their kids, they love them!" Ladybug fights back.

"Most adults do…" Chat Noir mumbles. He then raises his voice to tell Bubbler, "Bring the adults back!"

"No can do," the villain replies. "But hey, you know what? Since you care about these adults so much, why don't you go float with them for a while?"

The Bubbler charges at them and then kicks the bubble as hard as he can, sending them flying into the air. Ladybug and Chat Noir scream loudly as they're launched into the air, and their classmates all watch in horror as their heroes disappear into the sky.

"Wait! Chat, use Cataclysm!" Ladybug says once she's stopped screaming.

" _Why_ didn't you say that five-hundred meters ago?" Chat Noir asks in annoyance.

Ladybug scowls. "Just do it. I don't want to stay stuck in this bubble with you forever."

"I couldn't agree more," Chat Noir says, cracking his knuckles. "CATACLYSM!"

When black bubbles glow around his hand, Chat Noir touches the greenish bubble. This causes it to pop, and he and Ladybug are falling thousands of feet in the air.

"Think you can land on your feet, Kitty?" Ladybug asks.

"Bug off," Chat Noir replies. As they approach the Eiffel Tower, Chat Noir throws his staff at it, making a hole in one of the tower's pylons, and it sticks out enough for someone to grab. Ladybug throws her yoyo at it, grinning victoriously when it wraps around it.

"Hang on!" Ladybug screams, grabbing Chat Noir's hand. The two swing off in the air, sighing in relief when they both land on the ground safely. Ladybug grins, "We're aliv—"

" _Let go of my hand_!" Chat Noir says, pulling his hand away. "This is the second time you held my hand!"

"Well, _sorry_ for saving your life!" Ladybug scowls, passing him his silver staff. "Anyways, I think the akuma's in his bubble blower. We have to go break it and save Paris!"

"There's no _we_ in _team_ , My Lady," Chat Noir snickers. His ring suddenly resounds with a beep, and Chat Noir's face goes dead serious. "I've gotta hurry then!"

Chat Noir leaves without Ladybug as always, and she's forced to follow behind while grumbling under breath.

They make it just in time to see their classmates hiding from the Bubbler, who constantly yells orders at them to have "fun". Alya is still filming the entire thing, and she exclaims, "Chat Noir and Ladybug are here!"

Everyone looks up to find the two rivals standing on top of the fence, both standing tall with arms akimbo. They both have fierce looks on their faces and their weapons at the ready, prepared to the take down the Bubbler and bring back the adults.

Half of their classmates are cheering for Ladybug, while the other half is cheering for Chat Noir. But Bubbler is certainly not cheering for anyone.

"Fine, if no one's having fun on land, then go have fun up in the air!" Bubbler screams, trapping each one of his classmates in a greenish bubble. Ladybug and Chat Noir watch them all fly up into the air, horror-stricken. "Remember their faces because you're never seeing them again!"

Bubbler runs off and jumps form roof to roof in hopes of losing Ladybug and Chat Noir, but the two heroes follow him without any trouble. They find themselves fighting on the Eiffel Tower, blocking any bubble launched in their direction.

The villain and the two heroes are battling on the first platform of the tower when Chat Noir's ring beeps, almost signaling the end.

"I already used Cataclysm, just use your Lucky Charm and get that stupid tally mark," Chat Noir grumbles.

"Galdly," Ladybug smirks, taking out her yoyo. "LUCKY CHARM!" She throws her yoyo in the air, and a huge wrench falls into her hands. "A wrench? What am I supposed to do with this?"

"You say that every time," Chat Noir says, leaping from wall to wall to dodge each one of Bubbler's attacks. "Just get on with it already, I'm starting to get tired here!"

"Alright, alright!" Ladybug says, looking around to scan her environment. Tikki gives her a ladybug-printed print, and after memorizing it, Ladybug goes straight to work. She un-wrenches one of the air tubes, and grins when it's flying all over the place.

"Oh, this will work just fine," Chat Noir grins. He jumps from his place on the platform and slides down the air tube. Once his feet touch the floor, he makes it so that the tube is shooting air towards the akumatized victim.

Whenever the Bubbler throws bubbles in Chat Noir's direction, but the strong air makes them fly in all other directions. Seeing this failure, Bubbler launches another series of bubbles, and another. When the time is just right, Ladybug throws her yoyo in his direction, catching his over-sized bubble blower.

"NO!" the Bubbler screams when Ladybug catches his weapon in her hand. She breaks the item with her knee, and a butterfly as black as night flies out of it. Grinning, Ladybug captures the akuma with her compact and sets free a snow-white butterfly.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," two people say at once. Ladybug said it in a light and happy tone, while Chat Noir said it in a high pitch and in a teasing sort of way. Biting the inside of her cheek, Ladybug throws her Lucky Charm in the air, screaming, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

While magic dust flies all around the city of Paris, Ladybug turns to glare at her rival, and says, "Stop doing that."

"Stop doing that," Chat Noir mocks, imitating her voice.

Ladybug furrows her eyebrows. "I do _not_ sound like that!"

Chat Noir copies her actions. "I do _not_ sound like that!"

"Oh, I see," Ladybug sniggers, crossing her arms. "You're upset because I got a point, and we're equal now on the tally board."

"I'll get the next one," Chat Noir scowls. His rings beeps, and when he looks down to check it, he notices that he's down to one last digital pad. "Well, I'll go first. Until next time, My Lady." Chat Noir bows down to her mockingly before running off and leaving behind an annoyed rival.

* * *

It's late in the afternoon, and Adrien's birthday is slowly coming to an end. He's eating his supper in the dining room all by himself, picking at his food hopelessly.

"Some birthday I had," Adrien sighs, frowning.

The dining room's door swings open, and Nathalie comes walking in with a rectangular box in her hands. She approaches him with her usual perfect posture and straight face, and presents him the gift.

"A birthday present," Nathalie says in a monotone. "From your father."

Adrien slowly takes the gift out of his father's assistant's hands, and looks down at it suspiciously. The wrapping is baby blue, the ribbon is pink, and it looks a little too similar to…

"Marinette's gift," Adrien whispers.

"What did you say?" Nathalie asks, leaning in. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch it."

The blond looks up with a fake smile. "N-nothing. Tell Father I said thank you," he says.

After a quick nod, Nathalie exits the dining room and shuts the door behind her. The second she does, Adrien unwraps the gift hastily and his suspicions are confirmed when he spots a white card inside the box.

 _Happy birthday, jerk._

 _Have the worst birthday ever._

— _Marinette_

* * *

"A-and I was hiding inside the mansion when I saw the Bubbler trap all of you in bubbles!" Marinette stammers as she tries to explain to Alya about her disappearance the day before.

"You could've at least texted me where you were!" Alya cries, shaking her phone. "I was so worried!"

"Sorry," Marinette says with a sheepish smile while scratching the back of her head.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Nino frowns. "I didn't mean to get akumatized and all that."

"Don't worry about it," Alya says, throwing a hand over his shoulder. "You got me a ton of views on both of my blogs!"

"So, _that's_ all you care about, huh?" Nino laughs, fixing his baseball cap.

A white limousine parks itself in front of the school, and Adrien Agreste exits the vehicle wearing a familiar blue scarf. Marinette's eyes widen upon seeing it.

"Good morning Alya, Nino," Adrien says once he approaches them. He then fixes his gaze on Marinette and gives her a rare, sincere smile. "Marinette."

"No insults today?" Marinette raises an eyebrow.

"Not after what you made me," Adrien says, pointing at the article of clothing around his neck. He laughs, running a hand through his hair. "I… uh, wanted to thank you for it," he says. "It really means a lot to me. It's been a while since I received something for my birthday."

"Oh, no problem," Marinette smiles. "I'm glad you like it."

The first bell rings, signaling that class is about to start.

"Come on, let's head to class," Adrien says. Marinette thinks that they'll be able to go a whole day without arguing, but the moment that stupid smirk appears on Adrien's face, a scowl appears on hers. "Klutz."

"I _knew_ it!" Marinette screams, clenching her fists. "I'm so stupid to even _think_ you could be a kind, civilized person for once!"

Nino and Alya watch the two argue while walking up the stairs, both shaking their heads and sighing in exasperation. Their best friends could be such kids sometimes. It was like they were watching over two children rather than hanging out with two friends.

"For _my_ birthday, I'd like a day of peace and quiet between them," Nino says as he walks up the stairs alongside Alya.

"I think I'd like a week," Alya says flatly.

The two watch Marinette chase Adrien down the school hallways with fire in her eyes, while Adrien just laughs and holds on tightly to his sky blue scarf. While she continues to chase him, Adrien looks down at his gift and smiles.

"Thank you, Marinette."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** This chapter was harder to write than I thought. ;-;

Adrien knows Marinette got him the scarf. Since she isn't a bumbling mess in this fanfic, she wouldn't be shy to give him her gift, right? I hope you guys liked this new twist to _The Bubbler_. :) Thank you to all those who added this story to their favorites and alerts, and especially those who reviewed! It really means a lot to me, thank you!

 **Since a few of you are a bit confused about the AU, here it is in fuller detail:**  
\- In this AU, Adrien and Marinette don't get along and claim that they both dislike each other (or so they say).  
\- Ladybug and Chat Noir are rivals. However, they aren't afraid to help each other out form time to time. Chat Noir wants to stay rivals, while Ladybug—even though he comes across as a jerk sometimes—would actually like to be partners with him.  
\- Chat Noir is also able to capture akumas. This is so that they both have an equal chance of saving the day and de-akumatizing victims. Since the Ladybug earrings and the Black Cat ring are the most powerful Miraculous, I made it so that the ring is also able to capture akumas.  
\- There is also a rivalry between fans: Team Ladybug and Team Chat Noir. Alya is the admin of both the LadyBlog and the Miraculous Chat. Both blogs have a tally board that shows how many akumas Ladybug and Chat Noir caught.  
\- Ladybug still has the power to create, and Chat still has the power to destroy. Chat Noir does not have Lucky Charm—he only has Cataclysm.  
\- Ladybug and Chat Noir catch akumas off screen too, but in this AU, they do not. All the villains introduced in the show will be the only akumatized victims in this story. (This is so that the tally board won't jump numbers each chapter).

Any more questions? Let me know, and I'll gladly answer!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 2  
Chat Noir: 2**

 _Next Episode: Copycat_


	5. Copycat: Two Is Worse Than One

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 05_

Copycat: Two Is Worse Than One

"I'm sure you've outdone yourself, Theo," Mayor Bourgeois says, patting the artist's shoulder encouragingly. "Your works always exceed our expectations."

"It was my honor," Theo grins, placing a hand on his heart. He takes out a newspaper cut-out from his jacket and stares down at it lovingly. "I can't wait to meet Ladybug. I hope she'll autograph the photo I used as inspiration for the statue."

"I'm sure she will. Ladybug is very kind, after all," the mayor says. He takes a glance at his watch, and exclaims, "Oh, it's nearly time! Ladybug and Chat Noir should be here by now…"

* * *

"And my follower count on both blogs went up by thousands after the whole Bubbler fiasco," Alya grins, showing Marinette the activity log on her LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat. "I know this sounds bad, but I can't _wait_ for the next akuma attack! I'll get to see my two favorite superheroes, and I'll get to update my blogs!"

Marinette and Alya are sitting in the former's bedroom, their French assignment left forgotten on the desk. While they were taking a break, a notification popped up on Alya's phone, which so happens to say that both of her blogs reached over ten thousand followers. The LadyBlog is currently on the lead by about fifty followers, thanks to her recent akuma capture (The Bubbler).

"G-good for you, Alya," Marinette says with a nervous smile. She takes quick glances at the clock every few seconds, hoping for Alya to stop talking. Today is the unveiling of the Ladybug and Chat Noir statues at the park, and she's already late as it is. "Alya, you know today's the unveiling of the statues, right?"

"Wait, what time is it?!" Alya suddenly screeches. She lights up her phone to check the time and almost screams. She gasps, "I can't believe I forgot!"

Alya grabs Marinette's hand and drags her all the way down the stairs, and Marinette is surprised she didn't trip even once the entire time. They make it out of the bakery just in time to see a whole crowd forming around a statuette covered by a white cloak. Next to it are two people— Mayor Bourgeois and Theo Barbot, a well-known artist in Paris.

"Thank goodness they're not here yet!" Alya says, sighing in relief. "Come on, Marinette! They should be here any second now!"

"Y-you go on ahead!" Marinette says, laughing nervously. "I just remembered that my dad told me to go buy some ingredients at the grocery store for tonight's rush!"

"It can't wait?" Alya frowns, taking a glance at the large crowd at the park. It continues to grow because each passing second is a second closer to seeing Paris' superheroes. "Well… they're not here yet, so maybe I can—"

"WOO-HOO!"

Alya and Marinette turn their heads to see Chat Noir leaping from roof to roof, when he performs an impressive backflip in the air and lands gracefully on the statue's base. The crowd erupts in cheer, and Alya's face lights up with joy and excitement.

"Show off…" Marinette mumbles with a roll of her eyes. She watches as Chat Noir waves to the crowd and casually poses for pictures in hopes of increasing his fandom. Just wait until Ladybug gets there, maybe the crowd will get to see his true colors.

Alya takes her phone out and shifts from foot to foot. With a guilty smile on her face, she says, "I'm sorry, Marinette. I have to cover this event for my blogs, so…"

Marinette shakes her head, cheering internally. "Don't worry about it! The last thing I want is for you to miss this event because of me. I know how much you love Ladybug and Chat Noir."

The way she says Chat Noir is forced and through gritted teeth, but Alya doesn't seem to have noticed one bit—she's obviously too preoccupied with preparing her camera and making sure she has enough space to film the entire event.

"Thank you, Marinette!" Alya exclaims. "I'll meet you back here once the unveiling's done!" She gives her friend a quick hug before dashing off to the park with a wide smile and a phone charged at full battery.

Marinette runs off to find a place to hide in order to transform into Ladybug the moment Alya disappears in the crowd. She finds a nearby tree and hides behind it, letting Tikki out of her purse.

"I thought you were going to miss the ceremony," Tikki sighs in relief. "Alya sure loves Ladybug and Chat Noir, doesn't she?"

"Of course," Marinette laughs. "Come on, Chat Noir's already there. I can't let his follower count beat mine. I don't need his ego inflating even more."

"Does Chat Noir _always_ have to be the reason why you should do something?" Tikki sighs. "This rivalry of yours is getting pretty tiresome, Marinette, and you really should get your priorities in order. You should be saving people because you want to, not because you have to beat Chat Noir. Saving people should be more important."

"I do want to save innocent lives, but I do also want to beat Chat Noir. And both are just as important," Marinette says, making Tikki shake her head. "Now, let's head off to that unveiling. TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

* * *

"Excuse me, Chat Noir, but Ladybug's not here," Theo frowns, looking around his environment in hopes of seeing a black-haired superheroine clad in black and red. He chews on his green-striped lollipop stick nervously, eagerly awaiting her arrival. Chat Noir stops waving to the crowd and directs his attention to the artist.

"Don't worry about Ladybug," Chat Noir sniggers, hopping off the statue's base. He leans his back against it and crosses his arms over his chest, and he grins victoriously when his pose sends a series of fangirls screaming. "I can handle this whole situation all by myself, as you can see."

"It's just that…" Theo begins, and Chat Noir notices the brunet's face turn red. "I wanted to ask her to autograph this photo. She's amazing. She's so brave and smart, the way she always saves everyone..." Theo runs a gentle hand across the newspaper cut-out he has of Ladybug, looking down at it lovingly.

Chat Noir doesn't know why a sharp pang hits his chest the moment he hears Theo's words, and he doesn't know why the thought of Ladybug getting swept off her feet by him annoys him so much. He quickly brushes off the thought.

"I don't see what's so special about Ladybug," Chat Noir scoffs, crossing his arms.

"Yeah? Well, I don't see what's so special about _you_ , Chat Noir!" The crowd erupts in cheer as Ladybug lands next to her rival flawlessly. She smirks, "Good after _mew_ n, Chat."

Chat Noir narrows his eyes. "Okay, _that_ one's a bit of a stretch," he says, and Ladybug responds to this by shooting him a glare. "If you're going to make fun of me, at least do it properly."

"Why, you—"

"This is Alya Cesaire, live at the unveiling of the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue!" The two superheroes turn at the sound of their friend's voice to see her filming on selfie mode. "They've been together for less than five minutes, and they're already in the middle of a little argument! Rumors saying that these two fight like a married couple are one-hundred percent confirmed! The LadyNoir is definitely present!"

Chat Noir takes a quick glance at Theo after Alya's report, and he smirks when he notices a look of jealousy displayed on the brunet's face. And then he remembers what Alya just said.

"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Ladybug and Chat Noir exclaim at the same time, which created an uproar of cheers and squeals and laughter. Paris' heroes can't do anything but facepalm at their fans' reactions.

"Quiet down, everyone," Mayor Bourgeois tells the crowd. He then turns to Ladybug and Chat Noir, and announces, "It's only proper for Paris to pay homage to those to protect us from evil—Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

The event lasts shorter than they expected, and everyone is already leaving to get back to their daily routines before they know it.

"These statues are amazing," Ladybug says softly as she looks up to admire them. Chat Noir notices Theo approaching her with a pen and his photo from the corner of his eye, and immediately reacts.

"One thing's off, though," Chat Noir says, placing a finger on his chin. A smirk plays itself on his cheek—this comment will definitely set her off. Ladybug is pretty short-tempered after all. "I'm much taller than you. The statue kind of makes it look like we're the same height. I'm obviously not shrimp-sized."

"Are you calling me… _short_?" Ladybug asks through gritted teeth. She clenches her fists tightly, and Chat Noir could practically see steam coming out her ears.

"Do you understand French?" Chat Noir asks with a face as straight as Nathalie's. This makes Ladybug's blood boil even more, and the two argue loudly and childishly.

"U-um, Ladybug?" Theo asks shyly with a dust of pink on his cheeks when he approaches the bickering couple. He holds out his pen and photo, asking, "If it's all right, can you sign my—?"

Theo's words fall on deaf ears as Ladybug whips out her yoyo and launches it ahead of her. Her weapon wraps itself around the railings of a balcony, and Ladybug is ready to leave if that means she could get away from Chat Noir.

"Thanks for ruining the event for me, _Cad_ Noir!" Ladybug fumes as she pulls on her yoyo. She goes flying off in the air and disappears past all the buildings, disappointing Theo Barbot thoroughly.

"Ladybug… She didn't even sign my photo…" Theo says melancholically. He clutches his pen and photo tightly, a knot forming in his chest. He then turns to Chat Noir with an angry look on his face. "It's your fault! You just had to anger her, did you?!"

Chat Noir raises his hands in defense. "Woah, I didn't do anything. That's just how we normally interact," he explains. "And it isn't entirely my fault that you didn't get the autograph. You had your chance, why didn't you ask her?"

"I did, but she was too distracted by _you_!" Theo yells. "She didn't hear me over your argument! You _knew_ I wanted to ask her for an autograph!"

He knows he shouldn't be yelling at Chat Noir, but his anger and jealousy is blinding him at this moment. If only _he_ could fight alongside Ladybug, if only _he_ could talk to her so naturally, if only _he_ could be the one to win her love. He knows they don't get along, but the LadyBlog caught Ladybug asking Chat Noir if they could be partners. Theo could tell she's curious and interested in getting to know Chat Noir, and who knows where this could possibly lead to?

"Hey, I'm sure there will be a next time," Chat Noir says, placing a hand on Theo's shoulder. Though he hates to admit it, he's starting to feel guilty. He lets out a gasp when Theo brushes his hand off and begins storming off.

"He doesn't deserve her…" Theo mutters under his breath.

When Theo's figure disappears in the distance, Chat Noir's eyes widen. "Fencing practice should be over by now!" he exclaims. He takes his staff out and launches himself off the ground like a pole-vaulter would. He hurriedly makes his way back to school and lets his transformation go once he's found a good hiding spot.

When he runs back to the gym, Adrien grins victoriously when he realizes that he made it by the time practice ended. He blends in with the crowd of fencers, and makes his way to the locker room to quickly change and grab all his things.

"You know, your jealousy was showing when you were talking to that artist guy," Plagg says from his place in Adrien's pocket. "You started that argument because you didn't want him to get that autograph from her, right?"

"What?" Adrien scoffs. "I was acting like that because he was obviously on Team Ladybug. I'm behind by a few followers and all because I had to use Cataclysm to get us out of that stupid bubble Nino trapped us in."

Plagg snickers. "Yeah, _uh-huh_. If you say so."

Adrien sees his father's car parked out front, and hops inside to finally get home. It's been a long day for him, and all he wants is a nice and peaceful nap. To break the silence in the car, Gorilla turns on the tv and flips the channel to the news.

"—and some astonishing news! There's been a spectacular theft at the Louvre. Amateur video showed without a shadow of a doubt that the thief is none other than the famous hero, Chat Noir," the news reporter says.

The screen changes to a video clip of the Chat Noir imposter holding a painting of the Mona Lisa. Adrien couldn't believe his eyes at the scene—the person looked _exactly_ like him. The blond hair, green eyes, black cat costume; he had to rub his eyes and pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"This painting is the _cat's meow_!" the thief exclaims before running off with the stolen artwork.

"Cat's meow?!" Adrien repeats with utter disbelief. When his chauffeur parks in his mansion's garage, Adrien manages to sneak off, and he begins running in the direction of the Louvre. "My joke's aren't _that_ bad!"

"Trust me, kid, they _are_ ," Plagg says, floating in front of him.

"Yeah, yeah," Adrien says, looking around to see if the coast was clear. "Alright, no one's around. Let's go _cat_ ch him!"

"Just stop."

"PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

* * *

The Louvre is surrounded by police cars and police officers, as ordered by Lieutenant Roger. Chat Noir jumps off a roof and lands at the tip of the building, and his noisy entrance causes the dozens of police officers to turn around and charge at him.

"Woah, easy!" Chat Noir says, gesturing for them to lower their weapons. "You've got the wrong cat! That thief's an imposter—I'm the _real_ Chat Noir!"

Hearing his claim, Lieutenant Roger orders his men to hold their fire. Chat Noir slides down the triangular surface of the Louvre, landing right in front of the head of the police.

"Mind if I take a look around the place?" Chat Noir asks. "I'm sure I'll be able to find a clue that'll help me track down this copycat."

The blond fails to see the glint in the police officer's eyes. "Of course you can," he says easily. "Thank you for your help, Chat Noir."

Inside the museum, Chat Noir looks from every different angle in hopes of finding a clue. It's when they enter the room the Mona Lisa was in that he finds something familiar. A green-striped straw is on the floor, and he picks it up to inspect it.

"Hey, I know I've seen somewhere…" Chat Noir says thoughtfully. He snaps his fingers upon realization. "I've got it! It's that guy at the unveiling—!"

He's cut off by the sound of bars slamming shut, and he looks up to see Lieutenant Roger trapping him behind bars. Chat Noir runs over to them and begins pulling on them as he screams, "Let me out of here! I swear you've got the wrong cat! I'm _way_ slicker than _that_ guy!"

"We've got him locked up," Lieutenant Roger says proudly into his walkie-talkie. "I repeat; we've got him locked up."

* * *

Ladybug swings her way to the Louvre, shocked to see the dozens of police cars and officers stationed out front. Chat Noir is a lot of things, but he's definitely not a thief. Ladybug jumps off the roof she's standing on, landing right next to Mayor Bourgeois.

"Mayor Bourgeois, there has to be some kind of mistake," Ladybug says. "You don't really believe Chat Noir stole that painting, do you? He's a hero, not a villain!"

"I thought so too, until I saw what happened before my very eyes," Lieutenant Roger says, cutting in. "The cat's behind bars, and we're keeping him there until he confesses."

"You're kidding, right?" Ladybug asks in shock. "There's no way I'm letting you keep him in there—"

"Now, now, Ladybug," the head of the police says, blocking her path. "We've got the situation under control. You might want to leave it to the experts."

Ladybug's left eye twitches.

Before she could retort, Lieutenant Roger's walkie-talkie buzzes. He presses a button, and loudly and clearly, the officer on the other side exclaims, "Chat Noir is getting away!"

Upon hearing this, Ladybug runs towards the entrance of the Louvre and inside, followed by Lieutenant Roger. They gasp at the sight of the defeated police officers, but there's no Chat Noir in sight.

"Look what that cat did," the head police officer says, placing his hands on his hips. "If he's so innocent, why did he attack? Why is he running away?"

"Well, if _you_ were wrongly imprisoned, wouldn't _you_ run?" Ladybug counters. "Chat Noir and I may be rivals, but don't think I'm not taking his side."

When the lieutenant's walkie-talkie buzzes once more, Ladybug's compact vibrates, indicating that she's receiving a phone call. She makes sure the police officer is turned away before running off to answer the call. She slides open her compact, revealing a screen with Chat Noir on it.

"Chat Noir," Ladybug greets while making her way up the stairs. She turns around to check if she's being followed, sighing in relief when she sees that she isn't. "What's going on?"

" _You_ know I'm innocent, don't you, _Bugaboo_?" Chat Noir smirks, bringing the camera closer to his face.

Ladybug wonders how he could stay so calm. He's being framed for something he never did, he's being chased and hunted down by the police, and he's probably being called a traitor all over the Internet. Yet, he still remains his same old self—annoying, flirty, and optimistic. Ladybug could feel envy bubbling inside of her. If only she had his way of thinking. She'd give anything to stop feeling so stressed over everything.

"Call me Bugaboo one more time and I'll turn you in," Ladybug deadpans.

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," Chat Noir says. "Dreamt about me?"

"Quit joking around, Chat," Ladybug orders. "You didn't really steal that painting, did you?"

Chat Noir brings a hand to his chest, pretending to look offended. "My Lady, how could you even _think_ I'd do such a thing?"

"I didn't believe it the moment I saw it on the news," Ladybug assures him. "Any idea who the thief is?"

"I have a hunch, and I'm taking care of this guy on my own," he grins. "He thinks he can frame me and get away with it? He must be dreaming."

"Chat, who is it?" Ladybug asks, picking up her pace. They may not be a team, but Chat Noir isn't the type for child's play. There's no real contest if Ladybug isn't there to go against him.

"You'd know if you didn't completely brush him off this morning."

With that, Chat Noir hangs up on her, making her scowl. Ladybug calls him again, and she lets out a scream of frustration when he doesn't answer.

Ladybug makes it out just in time to see Chat Noir being chased by police cars and helicopters. Lieutenant Roger comes rushing to her side and asks, "Well? Aren't you going to go after him?"

"I'll leave that to the experts," Ladybug says, giving the policeman a two-finger salute. She curses internally upon realizing her actions—the stupid cat's actions are seriously starting to rub off on her. She swings off with her yoyo, saying to herself, "Stupid cat. Why can't you just tell me who it is?"

* * *

While being chased by the hoard of policemen, Chat Noir quickly looks around the streets for an escape. His face breaks out into a grin when he sees the tunnel of stairs leading to the underground metro, and he jumps right in. The police cars crash into each other in order not to fall in and cause any harm, and each of them scream, "HE'S TRAPPED! WE'VE GOT HIM!"

On the other side of the street, Adrien Agreste casually walks up the tunnel of stairs and into the streets of Paris. He hides behind a sign, and Plagg flies out of his shirt's pocket when no one is in sight.

"The thief was clearly akumatized," the black cat kwami states, eating a slice of Camembert cheese in one bite. "And I wonder whose fault that is?"

Adrien narrows his eyes. "Fine, _fine_. It's _my_ fault, happy?" he scowls, taking out the lollipop stick. "Theo Barbot. How did it take me this long to realize it? Anyone within a hundred meter radius can see the jealousy."

"Yours or his?" Plagg smirks.

Adrien glares at him.

When Plagg is all charged up again, Adrien transforms back into Chat Noir. He leaps from house to house, looking for an art studio around town. Just as he was about to give up and call Ladybug for help, an old warehouse caught his eye. A sign that reads _L'ATELIER_ is painted over two large wooden doors, and Chat Noir pumps a fist in the air.

"Found you, Copycat."

Chat Noir sneaks into Theo Barbot's atelier as quietly as he can, and takes his staff out in case of an attack. He looks around the entire warehouse, an eyebrow raised when the imposter is nowhere in sight. A lucky cat figure sitting on top of a crate is situated in the middle of the room, and it's holding an envelope in its paws.

Chat Noir picks up the envelope and opens it up. "The cat's in the bag?" he reads aloud. The second those words escape his lips, the crate jumps up, and silver chains wrap themselves around his wrists. "Seriously?" Chat Noir's ears droop down hopelessly. "How did I fall for… for this?!"

"My words exactly," Copycat says, appearing from behind Chat Noir. The black cat superhero tries kicking him, but the imposer is just too far beyond reach. "I don't see why Ladybug is so interested in becoming friends with someone who fell for a kindergarten-level trick."

"Yeah, I don't recall playing with freaking _chains_ as a kid," Chat Noir says with a straight face on. He tries reaching his staff, and lets out a gasp when he doesn't feel the cold, metallic touch of his weapon.

"Looking for this?" Copycat snickers, holding up Chat Noir's staff. "You make things too easy."

Chat Noir's staff suddenly beeps, and Copycat grins when he sees a ladybug icon on it. He answers the call, his cheeks turning pink when Ladybug pops up on the screen.

" _Finally_ ," Ladybug groans. "I've been trying to call for the past thirty minutes!"

"I'm sorry, Ladybug," Copycat apologizes, making Ladybug display a look of confusion on her face. "I-I'll be sure to answer next time."

"You're acting really weird, Chat," she says. "…Where's your insult?"

"Why would I insult you?" Copycat replies. "Anyways, I caught the imposter at Theo Barbot's workshop. Hurry up, we can't risk letting him get away."

Ladybug's face brightens at the word _we_. "I'll be there in two minutes!" she exclaims before hanging up.

"Hey, why aren't you calling _her_ stupid?" Chat Noir complains. "I'm never that nice to her! I may fall for kindergarten-level tricks, but she's got the _brain_ of a kindergartener!"

"Don't talk about her that way!" Copycat thunders, taking out his akumatized photo of Ladybug. "She's perfect. You don't deserve her!" He shoves the picture back into his pocket, smirking, "Before I proceed to beat you senseless, why don't I take your Miraculous first?"

Chat Noir lets out a cry of pain when he's knocked down, and makes a face of disgust when Copycat sits himself on top of him.

" _Dude_ , this is completely unnecessary—you're making me a hundred times more uncomfortable than I should be," Chat Noir twitches, trying to squirm his way out. "Seriously, _get off_!"

Just as Copycat is about to take the Black Cat ring, Ladybug comes jumping into the scene. Copycat drops Chat Noir's hand, and his eyes turn clouded as the superheroine makes her way towards them.

"Ladybug!" Copycat says happily, his green eyes lighting up. Ladybug runs over to the two cats with a raised eyebrow, stopping right in front of them. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Ladybug freezes. "…Chat, are you all right?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at her rival's unusual behavior. She _knows_ Chat Noir. Her rival would normally make a terrible pun or spout something insulting at her. This practically gave it all away, and she knows she's facing Copycat. She still has her doubts, however—Chat Noir could just be teasing her.

"Of course I'm all right," Copycat replies with a dreamy smile. "Because you're here."

Ladybug narrows her eyes. "Chat, you're acting really weird—"

"Hey, klutz," Chat Noir calls out from his place underneath the imposter. Ladybug looks down at him, and after hearing that nickname, she already _knows_ who the real Chat Noir is. Copycat really isn't slick at all—he's making this whole thing way too easy. "Ask him about our love for each other, and you'll see who the real Chat Noir is."

"Our love for each other?" Ladybug gags.

"Exactly," Chat Noir grins. "Would I ever lie to you, _Bugaboo_?"

Ladybug nods. She kneels down to Copycat's level and gives him the sweetest smile she could muster. "Chat Noir…" she says softly. Copycat's face turns as red as Ladybug's suit when she strokes his cheek. "I hope you didn't tell him about our _real_ feelings for each other."

"R-real feelings?" Copycat stammers pathetically. He looks down at Chat Noir for some help, but all he received was a wide, toothy grin.

"You know…" Ladybug says, faking shyness and innocence. She leans in closer to Copycat, and Chat Noir glares at the whole scene happening before him. "That we don't _really_ hate each other?"

"Oh, yes! Of course!" Copycat exclaims confidently, his blush turning a deeper shade of red. "We actually love each other!"

"That's wrong, _Copycat_!" Ladybug says, pointing an accusing finger at the imposter. "I'm pretty sure Chat Noir and I made it clear that we _do_ hate each other's guts."

"I love you, Ladybug! I'm much better than this… this…" Copycat growls, grabbing Chat Noir by the collar and shaking him. " _Idiot_!"

"Idiot?!" Ladybug exclaims. "Only _I_ can call him that!"

"Yeah, only _she_ can!" Chat Noir screams. He hauls himself up and when Copycat is up in the air, he kicks him as hard as he can, sending the imposter flying across the studio. Chat Noir then turns to Ladybug and tells her, "This fight's between me and him, so you better get out of the way!"

"I think you need my help more than you can admit!" Ladybug retorts.

"You guys can't even hold a decent conversation with each other!" Copycat says. "I'm finishing him, then _we_ can fight crime together, Ladybug! CATACLYSM!"

A black, bubblish glow emanates from Copycat's hand, and he's headed straight for Chat Noir's heart. Seeing past his plan, Chat Noir moves aside at the last second, and Copycat lets out a gasp when he hits the chains instead, freeing the black cat superhero. Once freed, Chat Noir punches the imposter in the face as hard as he can, sending him flying across the workshop a second time.

"Hey, Copycat!" Chat Noir calls out, making a fighting stance. "You're got five minutes until you transform back, so I suggest we get this show on the road!"

"With pleasure!" Copycat replies, taking out two silver staffs. Chat Noir charges at him and kicks his wrist, sending a staff flying. He jumps up and catches it successfully, grinning victoriously when he lands.

"You into fencing, Copycat?" Chat Noir asks, making a fencing stance.

Copycat charges at his opponent and makes a violent start, but Chat Noir dodges it flawlessly. For a second, he's back at school and going against one of his club members. One of the things his father forced him to do finally proved itself useful for once.

Chat Noir's arm is suddenly jerked back, and his face expresses anger when he sees the yoyo wrapped around it. "What are you doing?!" Chat Noir screams. "I'm the real one!"

"He's lying! _I'm_ the real Chat!" Copycat screams.

"Augh, you're both seriously so annoying!" Ladybug yells, stomping her foot. "Show me your rings, how many pads do you have left?"

Chat Noir shows her his ring full of pads, while Copycat tries to hide his blinking ones. Nodding, Ladybug lets Chat Noir go, who continues to fight him off.

"If you're going to help, at least know who the akumatized victim is!" Chat Noir shouts at her. "Seriously, I could've lost back there!"

"Well, _sorry_!" Ladybug huffs, crossing her arms. "You two look identical—I could only guess who's who! I was only trying to help!"

"I don't need your help!" Chat Noir shouts back.

Ladybug clenches her fists, her face flustered. "Just finish the fight! Having two Chat's is the worst! I can barely handle one!"

"Think I'd be able to handle two of _you_?" Chat Noir says, narrowly dodging a kick. "If Hawkmoth makes a Ladybug copycat too, I think I might just throw myself off the Eiffel Tower!"

"Just stick to the mission and defeat that Copycat!"

"Gladly!" Chat Noir makes sure to unzip the pocket the imposter is keeping his akumatized item in before kicking him against the wall. "CATACLYSM!"

Chat Noir jumps onto the second floor of the atelier and touches the silver rails with his hand, making them rust and turn into dust. The crates and art equipment all stacked up lose their support, and end up falling and crashing all around Copycat. The victim shields himself while the items fall, and once the avalanche of items cease, he gets back up on his feet to keep fighting. However, he steps on a few on the many paintbrushes lying in front of him and slips, where he rolls pathetically in front of Chat Noir and Ladybug.

"Actually," Chat Noir says, taking the purplish photo of Ladybug out of Copycat's pocket. " _I'm_ better than _you_."

He rips the picture, and a black butterfly flutters out of it. Chat Noir quickly takes his staff, and watches as a glowing green ball of energy appears on the tip of it. He successfully captures the akuma as if he were catching it with a butterfly net, and releases a white butterfly after purifying it from evil.

Chat Noir watches the little bug fly off. "Bye bye, little— _ow_!"

Ladybug had hit Chat Noir in the back of his head for making fun of her a second time. "You're _not_ funny," she glares.

"Whatever you say, I did _not_ deserve to get hit that hard," Chat Noir says. He pounds the end of his staff against the floor, exclaiming, "MIRACULOUS CHAT!"

As magic dust fills the air, a black and violet cloud envelops Copycat, and then disappears to reveal Theo Barbot. The artist is on the floor, gripping the sides of his head in order to stop the painful drumming in his head.

"Good thing you were able to tell the difference between the real Chat and the fake one," Chat Noir tells his rival.

"Once I figured out which one was a bigger pain in the butt, it was too easy," Ladybug says, sticking out tongue out childishly. Chat Noir sticks his tongue out at her too, when his ring suddenly beeps.

"You didn't use Lucky Charm today, so take all the time you need. You've got a lot to apologize for, My Lady," Chat Noir says, giving her a two-finger salute. "We're on patrol tonight, don't forget."

"I never do," Ladybug says, giving him a thumbs up. " _I'll_ be the one to catch the akuma if there's an attack tonight."

"Keep dreaming," Chat Noir smirks before heading out of the workshop. Ladybug watches her rival go with a smile on her face, when she's interrupted by a voice.

"L-Ladybug?" Theo stutters. He grabs the hand Ladybug is holding out, and mutters a quick thank you when she helps him up on his feet.

"Chat Noir told me I brushed you off this morning…" Ladybug says guiltily. "Is that true?"

Theo looks down sadly. "Yes… but it's all right," he smiles. "I must've been akumatized, so you saved me. Thank you."

"Actually, Chat Noir saved you," Ladybug replies. "I must've accidentally brushed you off during my argument with Chat Noir this morning. I hope you don't hold this against him."

"Don't worry, I won't," Theo says. He takes out his photo of her and takes a pen out as well, and asks, "Will you sign this for me, please?"

"Of course," Ladybug says, taking the pen and picture. She draws down her signature heart and ladybug drawing over it, and then hands it back to him. "Thank you for making that beautiful sculpture of me and Chat Noir. It must've taken you so long to finish it. I could tell you poured all your heart and soul into it."

"I did… for you, Ladybug," Theo confesses, smiling. "I'm glad you like it."

Ladybug smiles. "Well, I should go. I have a bunch of non-superhero things to take care of too," she laughs. "Goodbye, Theo."

Ladybug swings out of the atelier with her yoyo, leaving behind a love-struck artist. Theo looks down at the photo, running a gentle hand over it. He smiles, "Goodbye, Ladybug."

* * *

That night, under the midnight blue sky and twinkling stars, Chat Noir and Ladybug are standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower. But instead of watching over the city of Paris, they're screaming their heads off at each other.

"I liked Copycat better than you."

" _What_?!"

"He was kind and sweet and not a huge jerk like _you_!"

"Well, I'll take a Ladybug copycat any day! I'm sure she wouldn't be as clumsy and violent as you!"

" _What did you say_?!"

"You heard me— _ow_! See?! I rest my case!"

"GET BACK HERE!"

"NO WAY, I'M GETTING AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE FROM YOU!"

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I took the "Marinette stealing Adrien's cellphone" subplot out of this chapter because why would Marinette want to ask him out to the movies if she hates him? LOL I was going to have her make a voicemail that's really mean, but then I thought, "Wait, why would she call him in the first place?!" So I wrote this instead. It was hard trying to find a way to make Chat Noir win. ;-;

I don't know how to describe the way Chat Noir captures the akuma properly (facepalms). If you've seen the _Volpina_ episode, you know how this orange ball forms at the tip of her flute whenever she creates an illusion? That's what I'm trying to describe with Chat Noir's staff, and he just captures the akuma with the ball of energy. I fail miserably at describing it every time OTL.

Thank you for the favorites and alerts, and for the kind reviews! You guys are the best! :')

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 2  
Chat Noir: 3**

 _Next Episode: Mr. Pigeon_


	6. Mr Pigeon: Fair and Square

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 06_

Mr. Pigeon: Fair and Square

"You only have one day to work on your fashion piece. It _must_ be your own design," Principal Damocles says to the entire class. "Your design will be judged by none other than the great fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste—the father of our very own student, Adrien Agreste!"

The principal gestures over to Adrien, who smiles sheepishly and scratches the back of his head. While everyone claps and smiles, Marinette fumes and bores a hole into his big head. No one knows how _mean_ he really is on the inside.

Principal Damocles continues, "He will be wearing the winning design on his next photoshoot, to which the lucky winner's design will be featured in Gabriel Agreste's newest fashion magazine."

Marinette's eyes light up when he finishes his sentence, and she smiles wider than she has in so long. However, remembering that _Adrien_ will be the one to wear it if she were to win, it turns her smile into a deep frown.

"Hey, as long as your hat will be featured in the magazine, right?" Alya grins when she notices her friend's frown. She nudges Marinette, who gives her a small smile in return.

"This year's article of clothing…" Principal Damocles begins cheerfully. Marinette is expecting him to say shirt or sweater or trench coat, but he instead exclaims: "Derby hats!"

The classroom goes silent. Then, Kim screams: "The heck's a derby hat—"

" _Kim_ ," Mme Bustier says sternly. "Manners."

The screen behind the principal lights up, and a picture of a black derby hat is displayed on the screen. Marinette's face blanches when she realizes what it is, and she could see Chloe and Sabrina smirking her way from the corner of her eye.

"You have ten hours," Principal Damocles says, clasping his hands together. "Good luck!"

* * *

Marinette is flipping through her sketchbook in panic, repeatedly exclaiming, "Derby hat, derby hat, derby _what_?!" She turns to Alya, who's casually sitting on the bench in front of Marinette, who's walking back and forth. "Who the _heck_ wears a derby hat anyway?!"

"Everyone will once they see the hat on Adrien," Alya replies, shrugging. "You're freaking out for nothing, Marinette. I know you can design one."

"But why does it have to be a _derby_?" Marinette cries, flipping through her sketchbook hastily. "Why not a top hat? Baseball cap? Sun hat? Bonnet? What's wrong with all those?!" She shuts her sketchbook loudly, her face going pale. "You know what? It doesn't even matter because I'll probably end up making a fool of myself by tripping over my stupid derby! And then I'll knock Mr. Agreste over, give him a full-blown concussion, everyone in Paris will hate me, and I'll _never_ become a worldwide-known fashion designer! My life is _ruined_!"

Marinette collapses on top of Alya's lap and begins sobbing over-exaggeratedly. Alya shakes her head, laughing at her best friend's antics. "All of this for a derby hat? You need to calm down. Pass me your sketchbook," she says, holding her hand out.

Nodding, Marinette hands it over to Alya and takes a seat next to her. "Why should I even bother? There's no way I'm winning this thing anyway," Marinette frowns, slumping in her seat.

"Don't say that," Alya says, flipping through the pages one by one. "Stay positive. I'm sure there's something in here."

"Wow, Alya, those are some really great designs."

Marinette and Alya look up to see Adrien leaning over them to take a better look at the drawings in the sketchbook. Adrien was looking around for Nino, when his two classmates caught his eye. Since they're close to the DJ, the blond figured that they'd know where he is. However, his question is left forgotten as he marvels over the designs in the book Alya is holding.

"I didn't know you could draw so well," Adrien smiles, not even taking as much as a glance at Marinette just to annoy her (which is working, by the way). "I think you have a good chance of winning."

"Thanks for the compliments, Adrien, but these aren't mine," Alya smirks. She gestures over to the girl sitting next to her and tells him, "These are _Marinette's_."

The smile on Adrien's face doesn't leave when he continues, "Oh. Forget what I said then."

"Hey!" Marinette gets up on her feet and glares up at the blond. She never realized how tall he actually is—she's almost a head shorter than him. "What's your problem? Are those designs suddenly not so good anymore just because they're _mine_?!"

"That's exactly why," Adrien claps slowly. "You took the words right out of my mouth. Good job."

Marinette's face flushes. "I bet I can win this stupid contest! You'll be wearing _my_ derby hat for your next photoshoot, just you wait and see!" she screams, causing a few students to look their way, and Alya shrinks under the unintentional attention.

"Yeah?! I'd like to see you try!" Adrien screams back. He points a finger at her, saying, "If you lose, I promise you I'll never let you live it down!"

"Prepare to be disappointed because I'm winning this thing," Marinette retorts. She and Adrien both let out a _hmph!_ before storming off in different directions.

Alya runs over to Marinette's side with a grin, "I knew you weren't the type to give up!" she exclaims. "Where are you headed off to now?"

Marinette takes a glance at the clock on the wall and calculates the remaining time. "I've got nine hours until the showcase," she says. "I'm getting straight to work—I _have_ to prove Adrien wrong!"

"Alright, good luck!" Alya laughs. The scarlet-haired girl waves goodbye to her friend as she watches her go, and when Marinette's figure disappears behind the school's doors, Alya walks in the other direction. She shakes her head, saying to herself, "Those two act a lot like Ladybug and Chat Noir sometimes."

* * *

The day is young, it's warm but breezy, and the sky is cloudless and the perfect shade of blue. Marinette is sitting on the steps at the park, looking up the sky and the Eiffel Tower in hopes of finding inspiration. An idea suddenly strikes her and she quickly sketches it out, but unsatisfied with how it turned out, she rips out the paper and crumples it up.

"It's hard being creative under pressure," Marinette mutters as she places the crumpled piece of paper next to her.

"Marinette, you _save the world_ under pressure," Tikki laughs from her place in Marinette's purse. "Designing a hat is nothing compared to that!"

"You don't know much about Gabriel Agreste, huh?" Marinette asks, slumping her shoulders. "He's a _huge_ perfectionist, so even the slightest mistake will make him refuse it. This is as hard as battling an akuma."

"I'm sure you can do it. All you need is drive and determination," Tikki smiles. The kwami's face suddenly lights up, and she tells her wielder, "Pretend you're going against Chat Noir! Pretend that it's only you and him going against each other in this contest. Would you let him win?"

Marinette grips her pencil tighter. "No. I. _Wouldn't_ ," she hisses. Tikki pats herself on the back when she sees Marinette's pencil come in contact with the paper, and the kwami watches in awe as she designs derby after derby after derby.

Everything and everyone in that park sends inspiration sparking within her—a butterfly flutters in front of her, and she sketches a derby hat with a flowery rim and a butterfly sitting on top of one of the daisies. A student with a guitar case strapped to his back walks up the stairs she's sitting on, and she draws a derby hat with musical notes on it. A man surprises his significant other with a little gift, and she designs a derby hat that resembles a present.

Ten crumpled pieces of paper later, Marinette decides to take a break. Her wrist is starting to ache from all the drawing she's been doing.

"This is harder than thought," she sighs.

Marinette raises an eyebrow when she sees a suspicious-looking man making his way over to a bench. He looks around the park, and when the coast is seemingly clear, he sits down and takes out a brown bag and places it next to him. He then proceeds to take a whistle out of his pocket, and when he blows on it, a pigeon cry resounds from the item. A dozen of pigeons make their way over to him, and the man digs his hand in his bag.

"Hello, my little pigeons," he grins, taking his hand out. He throws the contents at the birds, which turns out to be bread crumbs. "Eat up! I've got lots of food for you all today!"

Marinette smiles at the scene before her. The man looks so happy feeding the birds, and it seems he's been doing this for quite some time now, since she could hear him calling them names like _Edgar_ and _Jeanette_.

"Fly off, you disgusting winged rats!" Lieutenant Roger says, fearlessly passing through the hoard of birds. Once he reaches the man, he scolds him, "Mr. Romier, how many times do I have to tell you—NO FEEDING THE PIGEONS." The policeman picks up Mr. Romier's bag of breadcrumbs and points at it. "It's strictly forbidden! If everyone feeds them, they'll leave their garbage everywhere!"

"B-but," Mr. Romier stammers. "Who's going to feed my poor pigeons?"

"All the park keepers know about you, Mr. Romier," Lieutenant Roger says, arms akimbo. "You've been banned from every park in Paris. Leave now or I'll call the authorities. Oh, wait. I _am_ the authorities. GET OUT!"

Mr. Romier gets up from his seat on the bench and walks away sadly. Marinette frowns at the scene before her.

"I feel so bad for him," Marinette tells her kwami. "The poor guy was only trying to feed the birds." A light bulb suddenly goes off above Marinette's head. "I've got it! A pigeon feather hat!"

"Perfect!" Tikki exclaims.

Marinette gets straight to drawing, and after fifteen minutes of hard work, she exclaims, "All done!" She holds her sketchbook up to inspect her proud design, grinning to herself when she sees no flaw. "This is it, Tikki. I think I have a good chance of winning!"

Marinette packs up her things and runs home with only seven hours left on the clock. She goes straight to work, cutting black fabric and sewing golden rims on her derby hat. She finishes after a good hour of hard work, but upon inspecting her hat, all color drains from her face.

"No, no, no, _no_!" Marinette says as she looks all over the place.

"What's wrong?" Tikki asks, tilting her head to the side. "What are you looking for?"

"I forgot to get a pigeon feather for my hat!" Marinette exclaims. "It _has_ to have a feather!"

Marinette runs all the way back to the park, and she scans the area. Upon seeing a flock of pigeons, she makes her way towards them in hopes of finding a fallen feather. The pigeons fly off when she approaches them, and luckily, one of the birds' feathers fall off. She picks the feather off of the ground and grins.

She makes her way to the bus stop, smiling when the bus comes seconds later. "Today must be my lucky day," she says to herself.

The bus leaves the park and begins in the direction of her home. However, halfway there, the bus stops moving. Marinette starts getting impatiently when three green lights go off and the bus doesn't move an inch. She gets up from her seat to see what's going on, and her face contorts in confusion when she sees a hoard of pigeons blocking the road.

"Sorry everyone, you're all going to have to get off the bus now," the bus driver says calmly. "We have a bit of a situation here."

Marinette gets off the bus and lets out a gasp when she almost steps on a pigeon. "Okay… that's weird…" she says slowly. There are birds all over the place—they're blocking streets and doors, and they're sitting on top of any flat surface.

"Pigeons have taken over Paris," Marinette hears a news reporter say. She looks up at the television screen glued on the corner of a building to see a news report going on. The caption on the bottom reads _RROOO ROLOOO!_ "This is just one of the many alarming situations giving authorities cause of major concerns." The reporter pauses, and then continues, "I've just been told a man named Mr. Pigeon is making an announcement."

The screen switches settings, and a man in the most ridiculous costume appears on screen. "Sorry to ruffle your feathers dear Parisians, but Paris now belongs to the pigeons! _Flap, flap, RROOO ROLOOO_!"

"Wh-what is this…?" Marinette says, her right eye twitching. "I can already tell he's going to be the weirdest villain we're going to fight." She runs towards the subway tunnel and down the stairs to transform without anyone seeing her. "Ready, Tikki?"

"Let's save the day!" the kwami exclaims.

"TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

One transformation sequence later, Ladybug swings off with her yoyo and jumps from roof to roof to try to look for the akumatized victim. She stops and stares at the pigeons flying in the sky, forming an airplane shape as they all head east.

"What is this?!" Ladybug screeches.

"You act like you've never seen a flock of pigeons befo—ah… ah…! _Ah-choo_!"

Ladybug looks up in time to see Chat Noir rolling down the slant of the roof they're both currently on. He luckily stops before he could fall off the edge, and he stands up and wipes his leaking nose.

"I'm allergic to feathers," Chat Noir sniffles.

"Perfect," Ladybug grins. "Then I have a better chance of catching today's akuma!"

"That's unfair, I'm at a disadvantage here," Chat Noir hisses, and then sneezes three times in a row. "I can't even breathe properly. How am I supposed to do this without dying halfway through?"

Ladybug shrugs. "It's not _my_ fault you're allergic to them."

"Typical," Chat Noir sniggers. "You always take the easy way out, don't you?"

Ladybug narrows her eyes. "I wish you'd have continued rolling until you rolled of this roof."

"Now, that's not very nice," Chat Noir smirks. "Alright, enough of the chit- _chat_. Have any idea who the victim might be?"

"I do, actually," Ladybug nods. "I was at the park earlier, and I saw this man feeding pigeons. A police officer came by and banned him from the park because feeding the birds isn't allowed. I have no doubt in my mind that Hawkmoth akumatized the pigeon man."

"And he called him Mr. Pigeon? Really?" Chat Noir snorts. "Creative."

" _You_ talk, _Chat Noir_."

" _Ladybug_."

"Shut up."

Well, I think you could be right… ( _cough_ ) for once," Chat Noir teases, making Ladybug scowl. "That could explain why all the park keepers are gone."

"We have to go save them!" Ladybug exclaims.

"Stop saying _we_. There's no _we_ ," Chat Noir says, backing up while shaking his head. "There never was, and there never will be."

"What's so bad about being partners?!" Ladybug screams, face flushed. "What did I do that makes you not want to work with me?!"

"I just prefer working alone," Chat Noir says quietly. "I always have, anyway."

Ladybug's expression softens. "Chat…" she begins. She then notices something in the corner of her eye, and lets out a gasp to find a ball of pigeons heading their way. "LOOK OUT!"

While Ladybug manages to jump out of the way in time, Chat Noir's continuous sneezes distract him from dodging the attack. The birds all pick him up and fly off, and Ladybug could hear Chat Noir screaming, "Are you serious?!"

Ladybug jumps roof to roof while following the ball of birds carrying her rival. She watches them drop him off on the roof of the Grand Paris Hotel, and she gracefully lands next to him when the birds fly off.

"I thought cats ate birds for breakfast," Ladybug says.

"Shut up, you're starting to bug me," Chat Noir says with a straight face on.

Ladybug groans. "Stop making puns already!"

A hoard of pigeons fly towards them, and the two heroes close their eyes and shield themselves with their arms in hopes of blocking any attack. When the blow never came, they open up their eyes to see the birds flying creating a tornado around them.

"FLY OFF, YOU STUPID BIRDS. I DON'T NEED ANYMORE FEATHERS IN MY FACE," Chat Noir screams angrily, covering his nose with his hands. When the tornado of pigeons disappears, an enormous cage is brought over them, trapping them inside. Hat Noir groans, "Not this again—this is second time I'm behind bars, and the second time I'm trapped inside something with _you_."

"I'm not too thrilled about this either," Ladybug says flatly.

"Your Miraculous," a voice beckons from above. Chat Noir and Ladybug look out the cage to see Mr. Pigeon standing on top of a ball of birds. "Give them to me or face the wrath of my feathered friends!" The pigeons all turn around and have their behinds facing the two heroes, who are not amused at all.

"…So, they're going to poop on us?" Ladybug asks, raising an eyebrow. "Intimidating. Right."

"Hey, bird-brain," Chat Noir calls out to him. "Bet you thought I wouldn't be able to think my way out of this cage. Sorry to say you're wrong—CATACLSYM!"

Chat Noir touches the bars and grins in triumph when they fall over, freeing both him and Ladybug. The two heroes begin walking towards him with fierce looks on their faces, and Mr. Pigeon could only cower in fear and back up the more they approached him.

"Looks like Mr. Pigeon's really just a chicken," Chat Noir laughs. Ladybug slaps her forehead.

"Chicken?" Mr. Pigeon blubbers. "Oh no, _that_ , you're wrong. I'm not flying off, just killing two birds with one stone." The akumatized victim blows on his whistle and jumps off the roof, and Chat Noir and Ladybug rush to the edge to see if he's all right. Some of his fellow pigeons catch him and lift him meters above the roof. "Except I'll be killing them with pigeons."

"That was so bad," Chat Noir comments.

At this, a group of pigeons dive towards the two superheroes, and they make it through the emergency exit before they could get hit.

"That was close," Chat Noir sighs in relief. His eyes widen when the familiar beep of his ring resounds. "I have to recharge. This sucks."

"I'll wait for you!" Ladybug exclaims.

"Don't be an idiot," Chat Noir says. "Head out without me."

"Are you… letting me win?" Ladybug asks.

" _No_ ," Chat Noir says quickly. "The earlier the guy is captured, the better it is for the both of us. My throat is seriously starting to itch."

"A-alright, then," Ladybug says as they begin heading down the stairs.

On the first floor, Chat Noir and Ladybug notice Mayor Bourgeois and his guests all crowded by the window, seemingly watching the birds create chaos outside. The mayor runs towards the heroes and says, "Chat Noir, Ladybug! Thank goodness you're here! You are going to get rid of those pigeons, aren't you?"

Another beep sounds in Chat Noir's ring. "Of course we are, but before we do I have an _urgent need_."

"Urgent need?" Mayor Bourgeois asks.

"Kitty needs to use the litter box," Ladybug chortles, earning her a glare from her rival.

"I see, head to the royal suite!" the mayor exclaims. As if on cue, the elevator dings open, and Chat Noir runs right inside.

"Thanks! And can you send me some Camembert cheese up there?" Chat Noir asks, smiling sheepishly.

"Camembert?" the mayor asks. "Um, sure. I'll see to it."

"Thanks," Chat Noir says. Before the elevator closes, he says, "And LB? Don't wait up."

When the elevator finally reaches the top floor, Chat Noir runs out of it the second the doors slide open. He runs into the unlocked royal suite and slams the door behind him as his transformation is meant to wear off any second now.

 _Knock, knock_.

"What is it now?" Chat Noir mutters to himself as he opens up the door. An employee stands in front of him with his arms behind his back.

"How do you like your Camembert?" the employee asks.

"Runny!" Chat Noir exclaims before slamming the door close.

 _Knock, knock_.

"Unpasteurized Camembert to you," the employee says, handing him a silver tray.

"That was quick, thanks!"

Chat Noir slams the door closed right on time as his transformation wears off right after. Plagg reappears and floats over to the bed, crying, "So… tired… I'm dead—both on the inside and outside."

"I'm going to take my chances and bet that you'll be revived once you eat this," Adrien places the silver tray holding the roll of Camembert cheese, and Plagg dives right into it. "Eat up. I'd hate to lose to Ladybug."

After Plagg's quickly eats up the cheese, Adrien transforms once again into Chat Noir. He takes the elevator down to the first floor and runs out when the doors open up. He stops in his tracks when he sees Ladybug by the window looking out.

"Ladybug?" Chat Noir asks, making said heroine turn around. "What are you still doing here?"

"I was waiting for you," Ladybug replies simply.

"I told you not to wait up for me."

"I know, but I wanted to."

Chat Noir sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I don't even know why you want to be partners so bad."

"It gets the job done faster," Ladybug says. "And it'd be nice to have a friend." The word _friend_ touches Chat Noir's heart ever so slightly, but he quickly shakes it off and walks off. Ladybug calls out after him, "Chat Noir, where are you going?"

He stops and turns to her. "I'm going to capture that akuma, what does it look like I'm doing?"

Ladybug smiles. "Yeah? We'll see about that!"

* * *

"The akuma has to be in his whistle."

"Oh yeah, I definitely couldn't figure that one out."

Ladybug glares. "I should've just left without you."

"But you didn't," Chat Noir grins. "I didn't force you to stay behind."

"I hate to say you're right," Ladybug huffs. She peaks around the corner to see all the park keepers trapped inside another gigantic cage. "We have to free them."

"Well, let's get to it, then," Chat Noir says, ready to run inside the building. Ladybug grabs hold of his tail before he can, however.

"Are you an idiot?" she asks. "This is too easy. You're going to get caught!"

"I'd like to see him try!" Chat Noir runs inside, ignoring Ladybug's cries as he heads straight for the cage. However, all the pigeon feathers in the room cause him to sneeze violently, and a group of pigeons dive towards him and carry him similarly to how they did earlier.

"You fell right into my trap!" Mr. Pigeon says proudly from his place on the rails in the room.

Ladybug slaps her forehead. "Idiot…" she mutters under her breath before running into the building as well. "Alright, I'm ending this before that jerk can die sneezing! LUCKY CHARM!" she throws her yoyo in the air, and a ladybug-printed coin falls into her hand instead. "A coin? What—"

"What am I supposed to do this this?" Chat Noir mocks from where he is. "We know. Just help me get out here!"

" _Okay_ , calm down!" Ladybug screams back at him. She scans her surroundings and memorizes the ladybug-printed pattern. "I've got it!"

"Are you sure?" Mr. Pigeon cackles. "You can't _buy_ yourself out of here."

Ladybug groans. "Really? Was that really necessary? I have enough of Chat Noir's puns, I don't need the akumatized victims making any either."

Mr. Pigeon lauches a ball of pigeons her way, but Ladybug flawlessly dodges it by sliding right under. She ties her yoyo string around on of the victim's legs, and then proceeds to swing herself around a beam. Ladybug gracefully lands on the floor and runs over to the vending machine. She pushes her Lucky Charm into the slot, and punches the button for popcorn.

"Chat Noir, you think you can still hit this while trapped in that ball of birds?" Ladybug asks, shaking the bag of popcorn in her hand.

Chat Noir extends his staff, which sticks out of the group of pigeons surrounding him. "Apparently so," he replies.

"Good! Don't miss!" Ladybug exclaims, throwing the bag of food in the air.

"I never do!" he grins. Chat Noir successfully hits the bag, tearing it open and making the popcorn fall on top of Mr. Pigeon. This causes all of the pigeons to make their way towards him. Chat Noir falls to the floor pathetically when the group of pigeons imprisoning him flies off to eat the dropped food.

While the birds all peck the food off of the akumatized victim, Ladybug pulls on her yoyo, making a pulley effect as Mr. Pigeon dangles off the beam.

"My whistle!" the victim cries as he watches it slip off his neck. While still holding onto her yoyo, Ladybug makes her way towards it and crushes it with her foot. She carefully places Mr. Pigeon back down, and then uses her yoyo to capture the black butterfly. A white butterfly flies out instead, and the superheroine watches at it goes.

"Bye bye, little—" Ladybug stops herself from finishing her sentence when she sees Chat Noir laughing from the corner of her eye. Her face falls flat. "Bye, butterfly. Leave." She throws her Lucky Charm in the air and says with a scowl, "Miraculous Ladybug."

"Aw, no fun," Chat Noir laughs as the magic dust from Ladybug's Lucky Charm flies all around them. "Why, is it because I make fun of you too much?"

"I should actually be the one laughing right now, since I captured the akuma this time," she snickers.

"Shoo fly, don't bother me," Chat Noir says in a monotone.

"I'm not a fly, I'm a _ladybug_ ," Ladybug says, stressing the last word.

"Potato, potatoh," Chat Noir says, waving a hand. "Now head off before your transformation wears out."

A warning _beep_ resounds from her earrings, and Ladybug takes her yoyo out and throws it. When it latches onto something, she turns to her rival again before pulling on the string.

"Pound it?" Ladybug asks hopefully, holding out her fist for him to bump.

Chat Noir smirks, placing his hands at the back of his head. "Keep dreaming," he says. Frowning, Ladybug pulls on her yoyo, and Chat Noir watches her go. He feels bad for a second, when he remembers: "Ah, crap. We're equal on the tally board now."

* * *

"I'm back!" Marinette screams as she barges into her house.

"Marinette, you're home!" Sabine exclaims, pulling a tray out of the oven. "I made chocolatines! Come have a quick snack."

"Not now, mom!" Marinette says as she runs up the stairs to her room. "I have to finish a project!"

"There's no time to lose, I've got less than an hour left!" Marinette exclaims as she rushes to her work desk with a pigeon feather in hand. She carefully sews it onto her derby hat, which took a good thirty minutes, and smiles at the result. "All done!"

"Perfect!" Tikki exclaims, and then points over at the clock. "Now, hurry! There's only five minutes left until Mr. Agreste gets there!"

She nods. "Right!"

Marinete gingerly places her work inside a box to keep it safe from any harm. The macaron incident at the beginning of the year stills haunts her, and she's not risking ruining her derby hat. She runs out of the house before Sabine could offer her another snack, and she continues down the streets until she sees École Francoise-Dupont in the distance.

Marinette rushes into the school's gym with a box containing her derby hat, and places it gently on top of the empty display box Alya is waiting by. The black-haired girl places her hands on her knees and pants heavily, hoping to catch her breath before Gabriel Agreste gets to her station.

"Where have you been?" Alya asks. "Did you get to finish your hat?"

Marinette nods. "I did at the last second!" she exclaims, lifting up the box hiding her design. "What do you think?"

Alya pauses. "I think it looks a lot like Chloe's," she replies.

"What?!" Marinette exclaims, turning around to take a look at said blonde's derby hat. When her blue eyes land on it, her mouth drops open in shock.

"Hello, Mr. Agreste. I'm Chloe Bourgeois, the daughter of Mayor Bourgeois," she says over-confidently. "I'd like to present to you my _original_ derby hat."

"Why, that liar!" Marinette rages, glaring daggers at Chloe. "That—that _thief_!"

"Do you want me to take care of it?" Alya asks, pointing a thumb at her chest.

"I think I can handle this one," Marinette says, nodding.

Principal Damocles, Adrien Agreste and a woman holding a tablet with Gabriel Agreste through video call on it approach Marinette's station. Adrien sticks his tongue out at Marinette, and it takes all her self-control not to do it back—it's disrespectful and humiliating if she gets caught by Mr. Agreste. The famous fashion designer inspects her derby hat, raising an eyebrow when it sparks a sense of familiarity.

"Wait," Gabriel Agreste says. "Turn the tablet back to Miss Bourgeois' hat." His assistant, Nathalie Sancoeur, takes a few steps closer to Chloe's station so that her boss could take a better look at it. Then: "Is this a joke?"

Chloe gasps loudly. "No fair! Marinette copied my design!" she accuses, and then proceeds to fake cry in hopes of getting Marinette in trouble. Gabriel Agreste sends the blonde a subtle look of sympathy, when Marinette suddenly speaks up to defend herself. She isn't letting Chloe ruin this for her.

"I apologize for the situation Mr. Agreste, but I can prove that this derby hat is _my_ original design," Marinette says confidently.

Nathalie turns the tablet back to the black-haired girl. "Go ahead," the man says.

"Everything on my derby hat is hand-made," Marinette begins, picking up her hat. "From the embroidery, to the weaving of the band, to the stitching of the brim." She turns her hat around to show him the design from different angles. "And lastly, there's a special design element that only the _true_ designer knows about." Marinette flips her hat upside down, where a twisted gold pattern reveals itself to read the name _Marinette_. "I signed it."

Chloe lets out a gasp, accidentally knocking over her display box in the process. Her derby hat lands upside down, revealing the golden signature saying _Marinette_. Fearing the consequences, Chloe runs off, followed by Sabrina.

"Very exquisite creation," Gabriel Agreste compliments. "You definitely have the laboring hands of a hat maker, Miss…?"

"Klutz," Adrien coughs.

" _Marinette_ ," Marinette answers, forcing a smile on her face after hearing what Adrien said. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Wonderful job on your demonstration, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel Agreste says. "Congratulations, you're the winner. Adrien will wear your derby on our next advertising campaign."

Marinette's face lights up. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaims.

Principal Damocles and Nathalie walk away, but Adrien stays behind to tease Marinette a little bit before leaving for that day's photoshoot.

"I can't believe I have to wear _your_ derby hat out of everyone else's," Adrien says.

"Hey!" Marinette exclaims, picking up her hat and shoving it in his face. "I worked hard on this, while _you_ just have to stand still and look pretty!"

"Well, I—ah… ah…! _Ah-choo_!" Adrien's sneeze echoes throughout the whole gym, surprising both Alya and Marinette. "Is that a—" He sniffles. "A feather?"

"Huh?" Marinette looks down at her hat. She nods, "Yeah, it is. What's wrong?"

"I'm _allergic_ to feathers!" Adrien exclaims angrily before getting into a fit of sneezes. "You definitely did that on purpose!"

"What?! How was _I_ supposed to know you were allergic to them?!"

"It's written on my wikis and all over my father's magazines!"

"Why would I be reading about a jerk like _you_?!"

"Why _wouldn't_ you?!"

While they continued arguing, Marinette remembers for a split second that Chat Noir is also allergic to feathers. The two people she hates the most have two things in common: they're allergic to feathers _and_ they're both huge jerks.

A fleeting thought that Adrien could possibly be Chat Noir enters her mind, but it disappears as quickly as it came.

Because while Chat Noir's a jerk, there's just _something_ about him that pulls her in. She doesn't know what part of him it is, but she wouldn't hesitate for one second if he were to suggest they become partners. Adrien, on the other hand, is just mean to her and _he's_ the one who starts all the fights. She'd never associate herself with him.

"I spent hours on that hat! You could at least _pretend_ to be grateful! You could at least say thank you!" Marinette screams, clenching her fists tighter.

"Fine then!" Adrien exclaims. His throat is starting to itch, but that doesn't stop him from arguing with her. " _Thank you_ for putting a feather on your hat because now, I'm going to spend hours _dying_."

Marinette glares. "Then die in silence."

Adrien opens his mouth to retort, but before he could utter a word, Nathalie calls out his name. She gestures towards the exit and Adrien mouths to her, "Two minutes." He turns back to Marinette and glares, "This isn't over."

"No, no, I think I won this one," Marinette smirks, and her words don't fail to make Adrien's scowl deepen.

The second he turned around to head out of the building, he sneezed again, and it echoes throughout the entire gym. Marinette stifles her laughter at the face he makes upon realizing what just happened.

"Curse you," Marinette smiles.

"No thank you," Adrien says, rolling his eyes. Marinette fails to see the smile that appears on his face before turning around to talk to Alya. While Adrien makes his way out of the gym, he looks down at the derby hat in his hands and smiles, "Good job, Marinette."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** If you haven't noticed yet, Chat Noir and Ladybug may claim that they dislike each other, but this is not quite true. Ladybug/Marinette is shown to be interested in becoming partners and friends with Chat Noir, while Chat Noir/Adrien is developing a soft spot for Marinette, which began in _The Bubbler_ chapter after she got him a gift. Don't you see? It's reversed! In the actual show, Ladybug/Marinette is interested in Adrien, while he/Chat Noir is interested in Ladybug. Shout-out to my lovely reviewer **Artemis173** for being the first one to figure it out! (You always know, don't you? Even in _Different Angles_! LOL).

This chapter isn't my best, and I do apologize. I never really liked the _Mr. Pigeon_ episode (and _Darkblade_ … and _Rogercop,_ _Guitar Villain,_ _Pixelator_ … cough) , so I didn't have a lot of motivation or inspiration for it.

Also, in response to a few reviews about the akuma captures, I know that Ladybug and Chat Noir catch akumas off screen too, but in this AU, they do not. All the villains introduced in the show will be the only akumatized victims in this story. (This is so that the tally board won't jump numbers each chapter).

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and reviews! Please kindly leave another one! I'd love to know what you guys think. :)

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 3  
Chat Noir: 3**

 _Next Episode: Timebreaker_


	7. Timebreaker: A Race Against Time

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 07_

Timebreaker: A Race Against Time

"Well? With or without?" Sabine asks her daughter as she places an indigo flower clip in her hair. Today is her and her husband's wedding anniversary, and she wants to look absolutely perfect for this special day.

"Uh… without?" Marinette answers once she makes it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you sure it's not better without?" Sabine asks again, turning around to scan herself in the mirror. She takes the clip off, and then clips it back on. She does this five more times, until Marinette stops her, laughing.

"Either way, you look perfect, mom," Marinette smiles, placing a hand on her mother's shoulder. She smiles at how happy her mother appears, and she goes on to think about _her_ love life. She can't wait to meet the boy who will make her happy for the rest of her life. She can't wait for the time that _she'll_ be the one to freak out over whether she should place a flower in her hair or not.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Sabine says, taking both of her daughter's hands. "I'm sorry for all this—it's not every day you celebrate your twentieth wedding anniversary!"

"Marinette! Can you come down here for a second?" Tom calls out to her from the other corner of the house. Marinette rushes over to the bakery to find her father standing there, looking nervous. "Well?"

"…Well, what?" Marinette asks, raising an eyebrow.

"My mustache! I groomed it. Is it too short? Should I shave the whole thing off? Maybe it's a little crooked on one side. I _knew_ I should've just—" Tom babbles quickly and almost incomprehensibly.

"You look perfect, dad. Well… except for one thing," Marinette laughs, pointing at her father's floury baking apron. "You might want to take that off if you're going to a fancy restaurant."

Tom gasps, looking down. "Oh, right! Thanks, sweetheart!" he exclaims as he rushes out of the room.

Once Tom and Sabine are finished preparing themselves for the day's event, Marinette pushes them out the door of the bakery. It's a beautiful day in Paris—the sky is cloudless and blue, and the weather is warm but breezy. Tom and Sabine got lucky that their anniversary fell on a nice day.

"You're going to be late, go on!" Marinette exclaims.

"Now don't forget," Tom begins. "Mrs. Chamack will be coming by to pick up the Eiffel Tower cake in thirty minutes. I'm depending on you. _We're_ depending on you."

"I know, I know. It'll be fine—piece of cake," Marinette groans once her words escape her lips. This is what happens when she goes on patrol every night with Chat Noir. "Enjoy the day!"

"We'll be back later on in the afternoon," Sabine tells her daughter.

"Alright, see you!" Marinette says, closing the door of the bakery. Tikki comes flying out of her purse the second the door shuts. "Wow, can you believe it, Tikki? They've been married for twenty years!"

"Time flies when you're having fun," the kwami smiles.

Marinette's face falls. "But stands still when you're doing homework," she groans. She drags her feet up the stairs and plops onto her chair and rests her head on her study desk. "I hate physics. I hate physics so much."

"You can go through this! I know you can do it!" Tikki exclaims, throwing her little arms in the air. "This is nothing compared to saving Paris!"

"You've got that right," Marinette giggles. Her laugh is interrupted by the sound of her cellphone vibrating, and a picture of Alya lights up on the screen. She presses the _Answer_ button, and puts her phone next to her ear. "Hey, Alya!"

"Marinette, where are you?" Alya asks from the other side of the phone. Marinette could faintly hear other voices in the background. "We're all waiting for you!"

"…For what?" Marinette asks nervously, trying to rack her brain for the answer to her own question. "Who's waiting for me?"

"Hello? Today's the bet between Alix and Kim!" Alya exclaims. "The whole class is here! Well, except Alix—she's running a bit late. And so are you, might I add. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

"No, of course I didn't forget!" Marinette replies a little too quickly. "I already made the banner for it!"

"Good because everyone's counting on you," Alya tells her. "You know that, right? The bet's starting in five minutes, so you better be here before then."

"F-five minutes?" Marinette's face blanches. "Y-yeah! Of course, in fact, I'm already more than halfway there! See you in a bit, bye!" Marinette presses the _End Call_ button and then screeches, "I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE BET!"

Marinette quickly grabs the banner that's sitting on her little pink couch, and starts heading out for the door, when Tikki stops her. "Wait, Marinette! You have to wait for Mrs. Chamack to pick up her cake!" the kwami exclaims.

"I'm such an idiot! I'm a bigger idiot than Chat Noir!" Marinette shrieks, gripping the banner tightly.

"He's not even here, I don't see why you should be insulting him," Tikki says, shaking her head.

Marinette takes her phone out to check the time. "Alright, I have twenty minutes before she gets here. I told everyone I'd take care of the banner and they're all counting on me! I can't break my promise!" she begins heading out the door, when Tikki interrupts her a second time.

"You'll never make it to Trocadero in five minutes—it's way too far!" Tikki argues. "Even if you run the whole way, it'll take fifteen minutes!"

"…Not for Ladybug," she grins. Then, she hesitates. "Does this count as using my powers recklessly?"

"Yes, it does. But as long as you don't use your Lucky Charm, you won't de-transform randomly," Tikki sighs. "I knew you were going to do this."

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you in cookies," Marinette apologizes. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

After a quick transformation, Ladybug swings all the way to Trocadero with her banner in hand, and de-transforms when she finds a good hiding spot. She skips down the stairs two at a time, and runs over to her familiar group of classmates. She pulls her banner down to reveal a cute design of a trophy in the middle of Alix and Kim's faces. Underneath Alix's face is a rollerblade, and underneath Kim's is a running shoe. Marinette smiles when everyone compliments her for her hard work.

"You all picked the wrong side," Kim harrumphs. "Alix isn't even here! I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even show up. If she does show up, then I'm betting she'll take as much time as she's taking to get here."

"Spoke too soon, Kim." Everyone turns around to see Alix rolling towards them with a smirk on her face, and they all cheer for her. Alix continues, "Your stupid pranks are over, Kim. I'm going to leave you in the dust!"

"You're no match for me, short-stuff," Kim snickers, lowering himself to her level. "One step for me is probably three for you. I'll get there first, just you watch! Time waits for no one, not even you!"

Alix glares up at him, and she opens her mouth to say something, but Max interrupts them to get the race started already. "Let's review the official rules," Max begins. "Two laps around the fountains, which is approximately five hundred yards. The first one over the line is declared the victor! If Kim triumphs, Alix will give up her rollerblades to him. If Alix triumphs, Kim is not allowed to make another prank for the rest of the school year. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Alix and Kim say at the same time. They give each other one last glare before turning to look straight ahead.

Max nods. "On your marks…" Alix and Kim make their starting poses. "Get set…" Alix feels a bump in her pocket, and her eyes go wide upon realizing what it is. "G—!"

"WAIT!" Alix screams, throwing her hand up in the air. Kim falls flat on his face when his starting pose is interrupted.

"Forfeiting already?" Kim smirks from his place on the ground. Alix rolls her eyes and makes her way over to Alya, who's holding her phone up to capture the race.

"Hold onto this for me, would you, Alya?" Alix asks, handing over what seems to be a silver pocket watch. "I don't want to drop it during the race."

"Wait, Alix! I can't, I'm filming the ra—" Alya begins.

"Guard it with your life!" Alix says as she skates over to her place behind the red line. "It's a family heirloom! It's been passed down for centuries; you can't let anything happen to it!"

Alya looks down at the watch, and then turns around and hands it over to Marinette. "Hold onto this for Alix! I have to record to race for my vlog!" Alya exclaims, turning back around to start filming.

"What does the race have anything to do with Ladybug or Chat Noir?" Marinette asks, raising an eyebrow.

"That's why I said _vlog_. Video-blog," Alya explains, grinning. "A Day in the Life of Alya Cesaire. The fans might want to know a thing or two about the admin of the LadyBlog or the Miraculous Chat, don't you think?"

"On your marks… get set… GO!" Max screams, and Alix and Kim are off.

"A-Alya, she asked you to hold it," Marinette says, looking down at the pocket watch. "I have to hold up the banner— _ah_!" Nino suddenly pulls on the banner, and this surprise causes Marinette to drop the item in her hand. Her eyes widen when she sees it falling to the hard ground, when a hand catches it, making her sigh in relief. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much for catching that—" Marinette grimaces when she looks up to find out that _Adrien_ is the one who caught it.

"You're such a klutz," Adrien scoffs. "How do you manage to drop something that was handed to you barely two minutes ago?"

Marinette scowls. "Just hold onto to it until the race is over," she says through gritted teeth.

Adrien shrugs and turns away from her to watch the race. He jumps when he feels two arms snake around his right arm, and his smile fades slightly when he realizes that it's Chloe. "Adrikins!" she exclaims happily.

"You surprised me, Chloe," Adrien says, holding onto the pocket watch tighter. "You almost made me drop this!"

"What is it?" she asks while picking up the item in his hands, and Adrien could only watch in horror. "Some super old case or something?"

"Careful, it's Alix's!" Adrien warns her, placing his two hands under the watch in case Chloe drops it (intentionally or unintentionally). "Don't drop it!"

"If it's Alix's, it's probably worthless," Chloe snorts, placing a hand on her hip.

"That was pretty rude of you, you know," Adrien scolds her, making her frown. Chloe inspects the watch and tries to click it open, when a blinding blue light shines from it. This surprises her, making her drop it, and everyone could only watch as it rolls over to the racing area. The entire class gasps when Alix rolls over it and crush it with her roller-skates.

"Yeah! I won!" Alix exclaims, pumping a fist in the air. She turns around in confusion when no one cheers. "Why aren't you all cheering? And what is everyone looking at—" Alix screams in horror when she sees the pieces of her birthday present on the ground. She slowly rolls over to it while Kim makes up excuses for losing the race. "Who… did this?" Alix whispers as she kneels down to pick up the pieces.

"You see…" Alya begins, shutting her phone off. "I had to videotape the race, so I gave it to Marinette, but she had to hold the banner, so she gave it to Adrien, then Chloé snatched it from him and dropped it and then you… skated over it."

"My old man gave me this for my birthday!" Alix screams angrily, and everyone goes silent when fresh tears roll down her face. "This watch is a family heirloom! It's priceless! I hate all of you! You're all to blame!"

Alix skates away angrily, leaving everyone to look down in shame. Marinette quickly rolls up her banner and chases after her crying friend.

"Alix, wait!" Marinette calls out to her.

"Marinette, what about Mrs. Chamack's cake?" Tikki asks as she appears over Marinette's shoulder.

"There's still time! Hide, Tikki!" the kwami obeys her wielder, and Marinette speeds up to catch up to Alix. She places her hands on her knees to catch her breath when Alix stops skating to listen to what she has to say. "Alix, we're all sorry for what we did. Do you think we can fix it?"

"This watch was one of a kind!" Alix argues, clenching her fists. "It can't be fixed! My ancestor made this—there's nothing else like it!"

"Well, there has to be a way to get it back to the way it was," Marinette frowns.

"Like how, huh?" Alix scoffs. "Go back in time and change the future? When you figure out how to do that, let me know!" Alix storms off, leaving behind a guilty Marinette.

Marinette's phone suddenly rings, and a picture of her father lights up on the screen. "This can't be good…" she gulps, answering the call. "Hi, dad."

"Marinette, where are you?" Tom asks from the other side of the phone. "Mrs. Chamack is waiting for the cake downstairs!"

"Wh-what?!" Marinette shrieks. "I'm sorry! I was, uh, you know, l-listening to music! Yeah, I think the volume's way too high! My bad! I'll go now! Can't keep her waiting, right?" Marinette laughs nervously as she hangs up, and then buries her face in her hands. "She's already there! I'm so irresponsible!"

"You can say that again."

Marinette's eyes widen at the sound of the voice, and she turns around to see her classmate in green and black attire. A black mask covers her mask, and dark glass covers her eyes. One look at her violet roller-skates, and Marinette knows that she's been akumatized. "A-Alix?!" Marinette exclaims.

"The name's _Timebreaker_ now!" she grins. "And I'm gonna go back in time and save my watch, using all you punks to do it!" Timebreaker begins rolling in Marinette's direction, who luckily jumps out of the way just in time. The akumatized victim doesn't stop, but just continues to roll off in the direction of her classmates.

"RUN!" Marinette hears Adrien scream when Timebreaker approaches them speedily. Marinette gasps when Kim starts fading after being touched by Timebreaker.

Marinette runs over to her, but keeps her distance. "What did you do to Kim? Why is he fading?" she asks.

"I needed his energy. Besides, the dude was a pain anyway with all those bets. He deserves to disappear forever. And so do you!" Timebreaker skates towards her, and Marinette dodges her a second time. The black-haired girl successfully throws the banner in the victim's face, resulting in her falling to the ground. Marinette manages to sneak off before Timebreaker could get the banner off her face.

When Marinette finds a good hiding spot, Tikki flies out of her purse. "We have to transform!" she exclaims. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

Ladybug jumps out of her hiding spot, and whips her yoyo out when she sees Timebreaker chasing after Nathanael. She throws her yoyo at her skates, making Timebreaker trip and fall over.

"Who did that?!" Timebreaker shouts, attempting to get back up on her feet.

"Me!" Ladybug screams, arms akimbo.

Timebreaker turns around to glare at Ladybug, but her facial expression softens when she sees Rose in the corner of her eye. She smirks, and then feigns innocence. "Please, help me out!" she cries, holding her hand out for Rose. "I can't get up! Help!"

"Rose, _don't_!" Ladybug screams, but it's too late. Rose had already touches Timebreaker, and she's slowly fading away.

"Sweet Rose, always thinking of others before herself!" Timebreaker laughs. She looks down at her time meter, saying, "One minute." The akumatized victim skates off once more, and this time, touches Mylene. Her time meter goes up, and now it's at one and a half minutes.

Timebreaker feels a tap on her shoulder, and turns to see Chat Noir standing a few feet away. "Time out," he says, shrinking his staff.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug exclaims when she lands on the ground.

"My Lady," Chat Noir teases, winking and bowing down to her mockingly. "So, let me just get this straight—we're all playing a game of tag and you're it?"

"Exactly!" Timebreaker grins, making her way towards him. Chat Noir skillfully performs a backflip, dodging the villain flawlessly.

"Missed me!" he smirks. "Just a second too late."

Timebreaker screams in frustration, until she sees Alya filming the fight with her cellphone. She starts skating after Alya, who gets touched in the end and begins fading. Her phone is left behind as she fades into nothingness, and Ladybug and Chat Noir could only watch hopelessly as their friend disappears.

"That's it! I'm beating Timebreaker no matter how much time it takes!" Chat Noir glares, curling his hands into tight fists.

Ladybug slaps her forehead. "How could you say that without getting even the _tiniest_ bit embarrassed?"

"It's all about confidence, something you clearly lack," he shoots, extending his staff with his arm. Chat Noir successfully manages to trip Timebreaker with his weapon before she could steal Ivan's energy. The akumatized victim glares at him as she slowly stands back up. She hastily turns around to try to touch Ivan, but Ladybug pulls her arm back with her yoyo.

"Sorry, Timebreaker, but you're still it!" Ladybug screams.

Smirking, Timebreaker pulls on the yoyo's string with all her might, and Ladybug jerks forward, landing right in front of her. "Bye bye, little ladybug," the victim laughs, throwing her hand forward to touch the superheroine.

Ladybug closes her eyes, ready to face defeat and disappear, when she feels a shadow loom over her. She opens up her eyes to see Chat Noir standing over her with his arms extended and his eyes looking down at her, and gasps in horror to see that he's slowly fading away.

"Ch-Chat Noir?" Ladybug whispers with a voice dripping in heartbreak, eyes flooding with tears. "You… why…?" Fresh tears leak down her face as she hugs him until he completely disappears.

"Oh, wow, six minutes and one go!" Timebreaker exclaims, making Ladybug look up to glare at her. "It must have been those nine lives. But why do you look so sad, Ladybug? With Chat Noir out of the way, all Paris will cheer for you and only you!"

"Chat Noir didn't die for nothing," Ladybug says, getting up slowly. "I will _not_ let his sacrifice be in vain."

"Whatever," Timebreaker shrugs, grinning when her time meter beeps full. "Well, I've got to go! The past is waiting."

She rolls off in the opposite direction, but Ladybug won't let her get away that easily. Ladybug launches her yoyo at her, and her weapon wraps around Timebreaker's waist. The superheroine tries to yank her back, but she unfortunately isn't as strong as her opponent. She's instead dragged around the entire courtyard as Timebreaker skates as fast as she could to activate her time skip ability. A glowing green portal appears meters in front of them, and Ladybug screams as they roll right into it.

They reappear minutes in the past, specifically right when Alix and Kim finish their first lap. Timebreaker stops abruptly, making Ladybug launch herself right above her.

"Thanks," she grumbles, getting up on her feet. "Wait… Are we really back in time?" Ladybug runs over to the rails and looks down to see all her classmates cheering for Alix to win the race. She sees the watch in Chloe's hands, and gasps.

"My watch!" Timebreaker exclaims.

"Chloe! Put the watch down!" Ladybug screams, making all her classmates turn around to see what's going on. Timebreaker jumps off the roof and lands in front of the group of people, making them all gasp in surprise. Shocked, Chloe drops the pocket watch, breaking it a second time.

" _NO_!" Timebreaker cries. She turns around and points a menacing finger at Ladybug, screaming, "This time, it's _your_ fault, Ladybug! I need more energy! I have to go further back in time!" The victim turns around to find her past-self looking down at the broken watch sadly and angrily.

"Ladybug!" Alix roars, clenching her fists. "It's all Ladybug's fault!"

"Everyone, don't let her touch you or you'll disappear!" Ladybug warns. They all do as they're told, and run off to hide before Timebreaker could get a chance to tag anyone of them.

"Who are you?" Ladybug turns around to see her past-civilian-self standing meters away. "You can't be Ladybug because… well…"

" _You're_ Ladybug. I know because I _am_ you," Ladybug explains, approaching Marinette. "I don't really have time to explain right now, but I'm you from just a few minutes in the future."

Marinette walks up to her and looks her up and down suspiciously, when Tikki pops her head out of her purse. "It's true!" the kwami exclaims. "She _is_ you, I can feel it!"

Marinette jumps back. "Seriously?!" she shrieks.

"Listen. I know it seems unbelievable, but trust me, I mean, trust...yourself?" Ladybug laughs, shrugging. "Anyways, dad's going to call me! I mean, you, in two minutes! He won't be happy because Mrs. Chamack is waiting for you outside the bakery door!"

"The cake?" Marinette asks, taking her cellphone out the check the time. "But I still have—"

"Time? That's what I thought too," Ladybug sighs. "Mrs. Chamack will be early. Just leave now and make sure to take care of the cake!" Marinette nods and runs off in the direction of home. Ladybug mutters under her breath, "How do I even get myself in these situations?"

"By being an idiot, that's what." Ladybug turns around to see Chat Noir standing behind her with a cheeky grin on his face. "Nice to see you again, My Lady. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Chat Noir, we have to stop Timebreaker!" Ladybug says. "The akuma's in her roller-skates, so aim for those!"

"That's a no-brainer," Chat Noir replies, taking his staff out. "Let's get on with it then. There's no time to waste!"

Ladybug narrows her eyes. "You're so annoying," she mutters.

Chat Noir and Ladybug jumps off the rails and land on the level below them. Chat Noir blinks at the sight of the two identical villains standing before them. "Am I seeing double?" he asks his rival.

"No time to explain," Ladybug says hastily.

"The energy from you two will be enough for both of us to go farther back in time!" Timebreaker 1 says, grinning evilly.

"I want my watch back! Let's do this!" Timebreaker 2 nods.

The two villains charge at the superheroes, and they're all battling it out in the courtyard. The Timebreaker's are no match for Chat Noir and Ladybug—they're much too slow and inexperienced in hand-to-hand combat to beat them.

"They're too fast!" Timebreaker 2 says.

"Let's stock up on more energy first, and then, destroy them," Timebreaker 1 says. They both turn around and skate off, touching unsuspecting civilians in order to gather up as much energy as possibly to defeat the two superheroes. Chat Noir and Ladybug chase after them, all attempts to save the people in vain. With every touch, the Timebreaker's just got faster and faster.

"Oh, Alya," Timebreaker 1 says, skating towards the scarlet-haired girl filming the scene. "You care a little too much about your blog." Alya isn't fast enough, and Ladybug watches as her best friend disappears a second time.

"We've got enough speed. Let's go hardcore on Ladybug and Cat Noir!" Timebreaker 2 exclaims, high-fiving her past-self.

"Once we get the energy from these two, we'll have enough to go back in time together to get our watch back!" Timebreaker 1 says. The two villains turn around and extend their hands to touch Chat Noir and Ladybug, who freeze in fear.

"I thought we were chasing them," Chat Noir gulps.

A ladybug-printed yoyo suddenly flies into the scene and hit both Timebreaker's, making them trip and fall over.

"Hey, you two!" Chat Noir and Ladybug direct themselves to the source of the voice. Another Ladybug stands at the top of a monument, and while Ladybug has a grin on her face, Chat Noir has on a look of exhaustion and annoyance. "Need a hand?"

"I'm good," Chat Noir deadpans.

Ladybug 2 makes a flip in the air and lands next to Chat Noir, who takes a step back. Ladybug notices this and turns to him, both hands on her hips. "What?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Two Ladybug's? I must be in hell," Chat Noir groans. "Why two? I can barely handle one." Both Ladybug's roll their eyes at their rival's rude comment.

"Now you know how I felt during that whole Copycat thing," Ladybug 1 says flatly.

"Change of plans," Timebreaker 1 begins. "We have to go back in time now; they'll be less of them!"

Timebreaker 2 nods. "I'm down."

Timebreaker 1 and 2 speed off in the other direction in search for other people to touch to steal their energy.

"They're planning on going back in time!" both Ladybug's say at the same time.

"Don't do that!" Chat Noir exclaims, covering his ears. "One Ladybug's voice is annoying already. Just—you know what? I'll go buy some time so that you two can figure this all out. I don't think the power to destroy can win this one either." Chat Noir leaves the two behind to do what he can to stop the Timebreaker's from escaping.

Ladybug 1 looks at Ladybug 2, and both nod at each other. "LUCKY CHARM!" they exclaim. A ladybug-printed bicycle lock falls into Ladybug 1's hands, while a traffic cone with the same pattern on it falls into Ladybug 2's.

"A bicycle lock?"

"A traffic cone?"

"What are we supposed to do with this?"

Both Ladybug's look around and memorize the same pattern before jumping into action. They get into position, and grin when they see Chat Noir cast Cataclysm on a pillar. The pillar crumbles to the ground, forcing the Timebreaker's to turn back around. They grin upon seeing Ladybug (1) standing still in the distance.

"Let's freeze her on her way past!" Timebreaker 2 laughs.

"I couldn't agree more!" Timebreaker 1 says, stretching her hand out. Ladybug 1 manages to skillfully dodge their hands while tying both of their legs together with the bike lock, and she gives her past-self a thumbs up.

"We're going too fast—we can't stop!" Timebreaker 2 cries as they skate around with far too much speed. They both let out a cry when they fly up in the air thanks to the ramp Ladybug (2) made with her traffic cone.

"NOW!" Ladybug 1 screams, hurling her yoyo at Timebreaker 1. Ladybug 2 does the same thing, but with Timebreaker 2.

Their yoyos latch onto one each of the victims' skates, and they yank the strings, successfully pulling off their skates. The akumatized items fall into their hands, and they both throw them on the ground, smashing them in half. Two butterflies as dark as night fly out of them, and they're both caught by the Ladybugs' compacts.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," Ladybug 1 and 2 says in unison, waving goodbye as they release the two butterflies as white as the moon. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

They throw their Lucky Charms in the air, which are quickly replaces by magic dust that fills the air and heal all that's broken. When past-Ladybug disappears, present-Ladybug picks up the fixed silver pocket watch lying on the ground and approaches Alix with a friendly smile on her face.

"Here," Ladybug says, handing her friend the watch. "This is yours, isn't it?"

"Sweet! How did you fix it?" Alix says, holding the item closer to her chest. "Thank you so much! I should never have given it to someone else to look after. It was my responsibility, and I shouldn't have gone off blaming others and taking my anger out on them. My bad."

"Be careful with your precious items next time," Ladybug says. Alix nods, and skates away to join her friends and apologize for her bad behavior earlier.

"Thank goodness you're back to only one," Chat Noir says, making his way next to Ladybug. "I don't think I'd ever get used to _two_ clumsy-bugs."

"Chat Noir," Ladybug says softly, taking a step closer to him. She smiles, "I wanted to say thank you."

Chat Noir raises an eyebrow. "Thank you? For what?" he asks.

Ladybug laughs for a second, believing that he's just messing with her. But when she looks into his eyes and sees that he's being serious, her smile fades completely. "You… don't remember?" she asks.

"Remember what?" Chat Noir asks, crossing his arms. "Are you all right?"

Ladybug looks down sadly. She shakes her head in disappointment, "You didn't come back in time with us… I completely forgot…"

In another timeline, Chat Noir saved her. In another timeline, he acted as her partner.

But not in this one.

In this timeline, they're still rivals, and he still wants nothing to do with her. Ladybug wanted to ask Chat Noir why he did what he did, but now, she'll never get to know the answer.

Seeing her sadness, Chat Noir gently hits the top of her head with his fist, making her look up. "Pound it?" he coughs, looking away in embarrassment.

Ladybug's eyes light up. "Pound it!" she exclaims, bumping her fist with his. When her earrings make a warning beep, she tells her, "We're on patrol tonight, don't forget!"

"I never do," Chat Noir says. "Well, guess I'll be throwing myself off the Eiffel Tower tonight. I did say that if I were to meet _two_ Ladybug's, I'd do it."

"Yeah, okay, you stupid cat," Ladybug laughs. She flings her yoyo in the air, and pulls on the string when it locks onto the chimney of a nearby townhouse.

As Chat Noir watches her swing off, he asks himself out loud, "What did I do to make her say thanks to me?"

* * *

"Marinette, are you still thinking about what happened?" Tikki asks, hovering over her upset wielder.

It's nighttime, and Marinette is lying in bed with her face buried in her pillow, her thoughts all on the incident earlier on. Chat Noir sacrificed himself for her, but _why_? She wanted an answer, but he doesn't know it happened. Technically, it never _did_ happen.

But she can't help but think about it. It's just so weird—this is _Chat Noir_ we're talking about. He clearly dislikes her, and would never give up a point on the tally board. _Why_ did he do it?

"Tikki, why does he hate me so much?" Marinette cries.

"I don't think he'd save someone he hates," Tikki says, sitting on top of Marinette's head. "I was keeping an eye on him, you know. He didn't even hesitate to save you. Maybe that's just how Chat Noir is. He can be kind when he wants to be."

"That makes me want to be partners with him even more," Marinette sighs. "But he doesn't want that, does he? And sadly, no matter how many times I ask him, I'll never get an answer as to why he sacrificed himself, since he doesn't even _know_ he did it. But I'll be all right. I think I'm fine living with the memory that in that timeline, Chat Noir saved me."

"I think you're starting to like this Chat Noir," Tikki giggles.

"He's better than _Adrien_. Wait, no. Who am I kidding? _Anyone's_ better than Adrien," Marinette laughs. "Anyways, come on, let's head out. We can't let Chat Noir get a point after we've captured today's akuma, right? TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

Ladybug jumps up into her balcony and swings in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. From where she is, she could faintly see Chat Noir's silhouette thanks to the brightness of the moon, and she picks up her pace.

"Chat Noir, even if you don't remember," Ladybug whispers into the air. "Thank you."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** All my titles are puns/idioms. (I feel like Chat Noir).

I loved the _Timebreaker_ episode, so the inspiration and motivation for this chapter were endless. I _was_ going to make him hug her, but that would've been so out of character for him. The next chapter may take a while, since I didn't really like the episode _The Pharaoh_. I'm sorry in advance!

Thank you once again for the reviews, favorites and alerts! Knowing that I have loyal readers motivates me to keep writing this story, so thank you so much for the support! I especially love how excited you all are for the _Dark Cupid_ episode. I already started writing it and _oh my gosh_. I have the best idea for it. If you have a prediction, please keep quiet about it! Because if you're right, it's a terrible spoiler and ruins the fun for the readers if you turn out to be right! Only five more chapters until _Dark Cupid_! :)

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 5  
Chat Noir: 3**

 _Next Episode: The Pharaoh_


	8. The Pharaoh: Going Down in History

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 08_

The Pharaoh: Going Down in History

"Alya here, and I am live from Paris!" Alya exclaims to the camera. "To make up for the past few battles I've missed, I'm here to bring you Ladybug in action! That's right, and I'll hopefully get Chat Noir sometime soon too! So—"

The sound of a helicopter suddenly interrupts her, and Alya looks up just in time to see Ladybug swing by. The superheroine's yoyo is tied to the helicopter, and she drops something while swing past.

"Did Ladybug just drop something?" Alya runs over to the fallen item and picks it up, and grins excitedly. "No way! What you got here is no ordinary book—it's a tenth grade History book. And I know, because I've got this _very_ same book! Could Ladybug be a high school student in real life? This is Alya Cesaire logging off, and I'll be sure to get more information on this, as well as news about Chat Noir for those of you on Team Chat! Keep your notifications on! See you!"

* * *

" _Could Ladybug be a high school student in real life? This is Alya Cesaire logging off, and I'll be sure to get more information on this, as well as news about Chat Noir for those of you on Team Chat! Keep your notifications on! See you!"_

Marinette grabs the sides of her head and lets out a loud screech after watching Alya's latest post on the LadyBlog. "This can't be happening, this can't be happening!" she repeats over and over before hitting her head against her desk. "Chat Noir's right, Tikki—I'm such a klutz! Only _I_ would drop the biggest hint about my civilian counterpart— _literally_."

"What's done is done, and we can't go back in time. We can only move forward," Tikki says wisely, and her thoughts go back to her former Ladybugs. She smiles sadly at the memories. The kwami continues, "Be sure to keep this a secret from Alya. You know how persistent she can be with her blogs."

Marinette sighs. "You know, maybe I'm not cut out for this whole Ladybug thing," she says sadly.

"You are the Chosen One, Marinette. It will all work out, trust me. Everyone has a past they can learn from!" Tikki exclaims, the thought of a past Ladybug of hers reappearing in her mind. The kwami flies over to the keyboard, and quickly types something down. A picture of an Egyptian pharaoh appears on the computer screen with the word _PHARAONS_ written above it. "This will show you why!"

"An exhibition at the Louvre? On the pharaoh Tutankhamun?" Marinette asks in confusion. "What does that have to do with my book and Alya?"

"Persuade Alya to go there with you, and make sure she brings the book," Tikki instructs. "Tell her you found out something about Ladybug."

"And what _exactly_ did I find out about Ladybug?" Marinette asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You'll see!' Tikki giggles.

"Well, if it'll help me convince Alya that I'm not Ladybug, then why not?" Marinette shrugs, reaching for her phone. She dials Alya's number and asks Tikki while the phone is still ringing, "are you sure this'll work?"

Tikki nods. "She will be interested, and so will you. I promise."

* * *

"Can you believe it? All I have to do is find out who this history book belongs to and _bam_ , I've figured out Ladybug's true identity!" Alya exclaims. She and Marinette exit the bus they're on and start walking towards the entrance of the Louvre. They make their way into the museum, passing through the hallways to get to the Egyptian section.

"You really think you could figure out who Ladybug is from a textbook that _every_ high school student owns?" Marinette asks, pushing away her nervousness.

"Yeah, because our school is the _only_ school that uses that book!" Alya exclaims, and Marinette's face turns pale at her best friend's sentence. "So, all I have to do is find out which girl in our grade lost her History book last week. There are forty-three girls, not counting myself—"

"Forty-two! Not count you… o-or me," Marinette interrupts, laughing nervously.

"Really? Yesterday, _somebody_ didn't have their textbook in class," Alya smirks, walking ahead to get to the Egyptian exhibit. Marinette quickly catches up to her.

"I left it at home! You know how I always forget my stuff," Marinette lies. "Come on, do you _really_ think that _I_ could be Ladybug?"

"I'm just messing with you, Marinette," Alya laughs. "Of course, I'll only drop you from my investigation when you bring your history book back to class."

A bespectacled boy suddenly pushes right in between the two girls, and pieces of paper fly all over the floor. There's a clinking sound that follows, and the dives for the fallen item with worry written all over his face. He hastily inspects the object, sighing in relief when he didn't find a single scratch on it.

"It's not broken," he says thankfully, putting the item—which appears to be a golden medallion—in his pocket.

"Uh, I'm ok too, thanks for asking," Alya says, rolling her eyes.

The boy quickly picks up his things and walks over to them. He has long brown hair and blue eyes, and appears to be much older than they are. "I'm sorry—Hey, you're in the same grade as Alix, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Marinette asks, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm her older brother, Jalil Kubdel," he introduces. "So, you're into Tutankhamun too?" Before either of them could answer him, Jalil looks up to see his father, and pushes past Alya and Marinette a second time to run over to him. "Dad!"

"Well, he's pretty rude," Alya comments before turning her attention to Marinette once more. "So Marinette, why are we here? This exhibit's got something to do with Ladybug, right?" Alya walks off, allowing Marinette to turn to Tikki for help. He ladybug kwami points over to the Egyptian papyrus hanging on the wall.

"Exactly!" Marinette exclaims, grabbing Alya's arm and dragging her over to the papyrus. "Right over here!" Alya is clearly unimpressed, while Marinette nervously tries to figure out what the hieroglyphics say.

"Come on, tell me what it is already!" Alya exclaims impatiently, crossing her arms.

"No, no, you have to figure it out yourself because… then it wouldn't be a surprise for you or me," Marinette says, laughing nervously. "The answer's right in front of you. Trust me!"

"I'm telling you, father—it's right there in the hieroglyphics! Ahem, excuse me," Jalil says, pushing Marinette aside. Alya gives the boy a death glare upon witnessing the scene. Jalil doesn't seem to notice it as he continues, "As you know, the one with the scepter is Tutankhamun the first. And there, opposite, is Nefertiti, his princess. There are exactly one hundred mummies beside them. She died several years before him, and the sun god Ra took her as his goddess."

Mr. Kubdel sighs. "Yes, I know all that. I'm the director of this exhibition, remember?" he asks.

"Then you also know that Tutankhamun wanted to bring his princess back to life, by offering the sun god a new wife. This seemed to illustrate the ritual he devised. Nobody has ever fully deciphered the hieroglyphics, but I have! It's a magic chant that needs to be recited in order to complete the ritual! I'm sure of it!" Jalil exclaims excitedly.

"That's how passionate _you_ sound when you talk about Ladybug and Chat Noir," Marinette whispers to Alya, laughing.

"You might think my theories about Ladybug and Chat Noir are crazy, but I'll prove you wrong," Alya grins.

Mr. Kubdel shakes his head. "Jalil, these types of frescoes are almost always the illustration for a legend. They called it a legend for a reason…" He begins walking away when Jalil runs in front of him to block his path.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I know it's real. I can prove it!" Jalil exclaims.

"Really? Exactly how are you going to prove it?" his father asks straight-faced.

"I just need to get my hands on Tutankhamun's scepter and recite the spell!" Jalil extends his hand to reach for the scepter on display, when Mr. Kubdel stops him by taking his wrist.

"Don't even _think_ of touching that scepter. I'd lose my job on the spot. It's a priceless historical object! _Not a toy!_ " Mr. Kubdel says sternly, walking away.

"Come on, dad! We have to try out the spell!" Jalil screams after him. "What if Tutankhamun had found out how to bring people back to life?"

"That's enough, Jalil!" the man scolds. "Get your head out of those papyrus scrolls and focus on the real world! This one!" Mr. Kubdel walks away, leaving behind his upset son.

"I almost feel bad for him," Marinette frowns after witnessing the scene.

"If you ask me, it's karma for being rude to us," Alya says, turning back to the papyrus. "So, what does this have to do with Ladybug?"

"A-ah… uh, i-it's there," Marinette stammers, eyes scanning the scroll back and forth to look for a clue. "Somewhere…"

After several seconds without an answer, Alya opens up her bag to take Ladybug's textbook out. Seeing this, Marinette lets out a shriek and pushes it right back inside her best friend's backpack.

"Put that down! I'll tell you what it has to do with Ladybug!" Marinette exclaims, making Alya break out into a grin.

"Well, it's about time!" Alay exclaims. "This better be blog-worthy."

* * *

" _Could Ladybug be a high school student in real life? This is Alya Cesaire logging off, and I'll be sure to get more information on this, as well as news about Chat Noir for those of you on Team Chat! Keep your notifications on! See you!"_

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Adrien cries after watching the latest post on Alya's blog. "I don't need to see her in my civilian life too!"

"You probably bumped into her without knowing it," Plagg laughs, hugging his slice of Camembert cheese. "Who knows? You two might even be in the same class!"

"That would be the _worst_ ," Adrien spits. "Having her in my superhero life is enough. I'm seriously so annoyed by this."

"Why do you hate her so much?" Plagg asks, gulping down his cheese. "I mean, she _clearly_ wants to be friends with you. Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if she has a little crush on you."

"Just because _she_ wants to be friends with me doesn't mean I should be friends with _her_ ," Adrien huffs. "And you want to know why I hate her so much?" Plagg nods. "Well, that's something that you'll never know. Sorry Plagg, it's a bit personal."

"Bottling up your feelings isn't a good thing, you know," Plagg says. "You'll explode eventually."

"I've been doing it for years," Adrien replies, swiping his screen to reveal a picture of his mother. "I'll be fine."

* * *

"This thing's making my eyes hurt," Alya complains, opening up her backpack to take Ladybug's History textbook out. Marinette stops her before she can, and places an arm around her shoulders.

"Look closely! It is in ther—" Marinette is interrupted by the blowing of a whistle, and she turns around to see a museum employee running in front of… a _pharaoh_?

"Who are you?" the employee asks.

"Pharaoh," they answer. "Tut, give me time!" His face changes and he brings his palms together to form a glowing, golden bubble. He shoots it at the employee running towards him, and Alya and Marinette gasp when they see the worker get trapped inside the bubble. He appears to be moving in slow-motion, and the obviously akumatized victim shoots more bubbles at the civilians in the museum.

Alya and Marinette narrowly dodge one, and the former unknowingly drops Ladybug's textbook. She instead takes out her cellphone and runs to the other corner of the room to get a better view of the villain. She begins streaming live for her blogs, whispering into her phone, "Coming to you live, LadyBlog viewers, I'm at the scene even before Ladybug of Cat Noir! This is insane!"

"Alya, hide!" Marinette quietly screams. She notices Pharaoh walking towards her and manages to quietly escape to find a good hiding spot. Tikki flies out of her purse and Marinette tells her, "Hurry, before Alya gets caught. TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming into Ladybug, she leaps into the Egyptian exhibit room before the iron bars slide all the way down to block the exit. She sees Pharaoh stealing the scepter and the papyrus scroll on the wall, and just like that, she's _certain_ that it's Jalil.

"You know that's considered stealing," Ladybug says, taking out her yoyo.

"Actually, I'm taking back what rightfully belongs to me," Pharaoh says, using telekinesis to roll up the papyrus.

"It's not yours unless you're the real Pharaoh, which you're obviously not," Ladybug talks back, making a fighting stance.

"Look at Ladybug go! If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up!" Ladybug hears Alya say. She turns to her and waves her hand, gesturing her to hide, only making Alya's eyes sparkle in happiness. "Ladybug waved at me! No way!"

Ladybug uses her yoyo to attack the Pharaoh, but he grabs the yoyo and swings her around, until he lets go, making her painfully crash into a wall.

"Sekhmet, give me your strength!" Pharaoh orders. His face changes, and he uses his strength to bend the iron bars.

"How nice of you to hold the door open for me," a voice says. Pharaoh looks up to see a smirking Chat Noir with his staff at the ready. The black cat superhero charges at his opponent, but is unfortunately tossed over the shoulder as if he weighs nothing. He gets thrown into a coffin and trapped inside, making Ladybug run over and attempt to open up the top.

Alya captures the entire scene on her phone, resisting the urge to jump up and down excitedly. "This is insane! Keep watching—" She stops when she notices a shadow loom over her and she turns around to see Pharaoh standing right there. "H-hey there," she gulps.

"Your face," Pharaoh says, grabbing Alya's chin and turning it to take a better look at her facial features. "You look just like…" he trails off. "Come with me!"

He easily picks Alya up and places her on his shoulder, who complains while kicking her legs and pounding on his back, "Hands off, you old creep! I can walk myself!"

This causes Ladybug to turn in her direction, and she groans, "Seriously, Alya?!" She pushes the coffin's top off with all her might, and a dizzy Chat Noir sits upright. Ladybug doesn't have time to ask him if he's all right—she turns her attention straight to Pharaoh, who's already on the other side of the bars, and calls out, "Hold on, Pharaoh!"

"Hiding behind an innocent bystander? You're weak, Pharaoh!" Chat Noir screams, running next to Ladybug.

"I'm more powerful than you are," Pharaoh says, straightening the bended iron, preventing them from escaping. Gasping, Chat Noir and Ladybug run over to them and clutch the bars.

He begins walking away, but Alya adds, "Don't forget! All the latest behind-the-scenes are on my blog!"

"Great, just _how many times_ are the akumatized victims going to trap us together?" Chat Noir scoffs, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not too happy about this either," Ladybug says. "We have to save Alya, use Cataclysm!"

"Anything you say, Your Majesty," Chat Noir says, narrowly dodging a slap from Ladybug. "CATACLYSM!" After a blackish glow appears on his hand, he runs them over the iron bars, rusting them and making them fall to the floor.

"And do you have any idea where they could've gone?" Chat Noir asks.

Ladybug takes her yoyo out and slides it open to reveal the LadyBlog. "Alya's got a livestream on her blog!" Ladybug exclaims, tapping the _Play_ button.

" _Hi, everyone! Alya here, liveblogging from the shoulder of the terrifying villain! Huge scoop to come, stay tuned!"_

Ladybug almost slaps her forehead after listening to the video. She couldn't sound more excited to be kidnapped.

Chat Noir looks down at his blinking ring, and says, "You know what? You go on ahead. I have to charge up my Miraculous."

"Ready to lose to me a third time?" Ladybug smirks, making Chat Noir scowl.

"Yeah, yeah," he rolls his eyes and disappears up the stairs.

Ladybug slides open her yoyo to watch Alya's livestream as she runs blindly through the hallways of the Louvre. "Hold on, Alya, I'm co—" Ladybug screams when she gets swallowed up by a time bubble. She pounds her fists against its walls to hopefully pop it, but to no avail. "Oh no, I ran right into one of those time bubbles! I've got to get out of this!"

" _Ladybug, this is Alya!"_ Marinette looks down at her yoyo worriedly. _"I just found out I'm the sacrificial offering to the sun god! Please hurry!"_

"Hold on, Alya! I'll be there soon!" Ladybug exclaims, rolling the bubble by running inside of it.

* * *

Chat Noir comes running down the stairs after charging his ring. "Alright, so where would—" His face falls flat when he sees Ladybug trapped inside one of Pharaoh's time bubbles. He takes his staff out and extends it, mumbling to himself, "That idiot."

He pops the bubble with his staff and Ladybug runs right into his chest, making him take her arms to hep her up. She looks up, blushing, "Ch-Chat Noir?"

"You're hopeless on your own, aren't you?" Chat Noir sighs, dropping his hands from their grip on her arms. "And don't think I'm helping you out here. It's just no fun defeating the villain without anyone to go against."

Ladybug scowls at his words. "Let's just head on to the roof of a townhouse. We'll probably be able to see them from there."

Up on a roof, the two superheroes can see a huge crowd of mummies standing in a specific order to form an Egyptian cross that touches one of the Louvre's walls. They can see Alya talking to Pharaoh, and to know what they're saying, Ladybug takes her yoyo out to watch Alya's livestream.

" _Whoa, back up! Who's that goddess chick with the black spots?" Alya asks, zooming in on the drawing of a black-haired Egyptian with a polka-dotted robe. "There, on your papyrus!"_

" _Ladybug, my sworn enemy," Pharaoh answers wrathfully. "My nemesis may have kept me from carrying out my ritual five thousand years ago, but she will not stop Nefertiti from coming back to me this time!"_

" _Did you say… five thousand years ago?!" Alya gasps._

"No wonder you look so old," Chat Noir smirks, making Ladybug scowl.

"Ra, God of the Sun, I, Pharaoh, offer to thee a pure soul—the sacrifice for the return of Nefertiti!" Pharaoh says loud enough for Chat Noir and Ladybug to hear. Ladybug turns her yoyo off, and the two of them look down to see what's going on. "I bow to you, and present this gift with my mummies! In company, we pray to you the safe return of Princess Nefertiti! Awaken, Nefertiti! _Awaken_!"

A beam shoots out of his scepter, touching the Louvre. Golden light shines from it, and a ray of light bursts out the top of the museum's triangular form. The light shoots up the sky, creating a swirling black hole. A group of mummies pick Alya up and head for the Louvre, ready to sacrifice her to bring back their princess.

"LADYBUG, CHAT NOIR!" Alya cries.

"Oh, I'm beating these guys up," Chat Noir grins, leaping onto the railings of the roof. He cracks his knuckles and he's about to jump, when Ladybug stops him.

"Wait, Chat Noir, we need a plan," Ladybug says. "If things go wrong, Alya will be gone forever!"

"Stop saying _we_ , we're not a team," is all Chat Noir says before leaping down to the ground. He jumps on top of a lamppost and calls out to the chanting mummies, "Hey there, you bunch of bandages." The mummies all turn to him. Chat Noir smirks, "How about we _wrap_ this up?"

Ladybug slaps her forehead at the pun (he purposely said it loudly for her to hear, she's sure), but this thankfully gives her the chance to sneakily rescue Alya from Pharaoh's clutches. While Pharaoh isn't looking, Ladybug swings down with her yoyo and skillfully grabs Alya.

"I _knew_ it was a trap!" Ladybug hears Pharaoh cry while passing by.

Ladybug and Alya land on top of another townhouse's roof. Upon landing, Alya immediately takes out her phone and starts recording again. "You all just witnessed another insane feat from Ladybug! Thank you for saving me!"

"Oh, uh, you're welcome. But it's not over yet," Ladybug says. "Not until—"

"Not until Ladybug destroys the pendant containing the akuma, and turns everything back to normal," Alya says proudly. "What? I pay attention."

"The pendant!" Ladybug exclaims. "Thanks!"

"No problem, Lady— _behind you_!" Alya cries, pointing a finger behind her.

Ladybug turns around to see Pharaoh in the air, and she pushes Alya out of the way when he dives towards them. Pharaoh knocks the superheroine off the roof, but her yoyo luckily latches onto one of the rails of the roof, breaking her fall.

She gets up and looks up to see Pharaoh holding Alya with one arm. "You're not going to win this time, Ladybug!"

"Help me, Ladybug!" Alya cries.

"Crush that insect!" Pharaoh orders his mummies, who surround her. While fighting them off, Ladybug sees Pharaoh throw Alya on top of the golden light, and gasps when she's being lifted up into the black hole in the sky.

Ladybug turns around and calls out to Chat Noir, "Chat Noir, Alya's going to be sacrificed any second no— _woah_. You actually defeated them all."

Ladybug stares in admiration at the amount of skill Chat Noir has. All the mummies lay unconscious on the ground. "Of course I did," he says proudly. "Alright, I'm saving Alya and getting that akuma. You can just stand by and watch, I'll be fine on my own."

Chat Noir extends his staff to its maximum and jumps off the tip, landing perfectly in front of the Louvre. He shrinks his staff and clips it to his belt and begins climbing up the walls of the museum to get to Alya.

"Black Cat?! We meet again," Pharaoh says, in process of changing faces. However, Ladybug ties him up with her yoyo's strings.

"Let the cat finish the job, would you?" Ladybug snickers, tightening her grip on her string.

"Horus, give me your wings!" Pharaoh's faces changes, and he lifts himself upwards into the air, bringing Ladybug along with him. Ladybug screams in horror as she's lifted off the ground and flown up. Before she could get hurled into the spiraling black hole, she breaks the rope holding Pharaoh's pendant and unbinds her yoyo's string. She drops the pendant while in mid-air, screaming, "Chat Noir, the pendant!"

"Just so you know, this counts as me getting a point on the tally board," Chat Noir smirks, making his way towards it. However, Pharaoh lands in front of the pendant, preventing them from breaking it and capturing the akuma. "It's over now. You're too late," Pharaoh says, picking up the pendant and throwing his arms in the air. "Ra, God of the Sun! Accept this humble offering and return the princess to _me_!"

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug screams, throwing her weapon up in the air. A ladybug-printed box falls into her hands, confusing her. "A Ladybug costume?"

"I don't think wearing it would make a difference," Chat Noir says flatly.

"Clearly," Ladybug says. She scans the box, and upon seeing the red and black polka-dotted pattern, she calls out to Pharaoh, "Wait! This offering isn't good enough for Nefertiti!"

"Hey! Thanks a lot!" Alya scowls, offended after hearing Ladybug's claim.

"Too late, Ladybug! The ritual has begun!" Pharaoh says.

"Set Alya free and sacrifice _me_ instead," Ladybug tells him. "Wouldn't that be the sweetest revenge, five thousand years later? After all, I'm the one who kept Nefertiti from you all these years!"

"It's true that you make a much more precious offering than this mortal…" Pharaoh says, lowering his arms and contemplating his decision. "I accept. Horus, give me wings!" The akumatized victim takes Ladybug by the hand and lifts her up to where Alya is. He carelessly throws her off the beam of light, and the bespectacled girl screams while falling.

Chat Noir catches her before she could hit the ground. "You okay?" he asks, grinning.

"A bit offended, but overall? Yeah, I'm good," Alya replies. "Thanks for _cat_ ching me!"

Chat Noir puts her down and holds his fist up, which Alya bumps with her own. "Good one!" he exclaims.

Ladybug frowns at their exchange, muttering to herself, "Sure, he'll fist-bump her but not me…"

Pharaoh places her on top of the ray of light, and holds his palm out, saying, "Before you go, give me your Miraculous!"

Ladybug fakes defeat, "You win, Pharaoh…" she says, pretending to take her earrings off. She holds her fist out to "drop" the earrings in his hand, but instead goes for his pendant.

" _NO_!" Pharaoh screams.

"You want my Miraculous? Go get it!" Ladybug exclaims, throwing a pair of ladybug earrings over him.

Pharaoh chases after them and inspects them after catching them. "Is this… _a toy_?!" he screams furiously, turning to Ladybug.

"Sorry, Pharaoh," Ladybug grins. She punches the pendant, breaking it and stripping Pharaoh of his powers. A black butterfly flies out of it, but before Ladybug could capture it, the beam of light disappears, making her slide down the triangular walls of the Louvre.

"Think you can still catch that butterfly?" Chat Noir asks. "It's pretty high up."

"We'll see," Ladybug says, swirling her yoyo. She throws it upwards with all the force she has, and grins victoriously when the akuma disappears inside her compact. "Got it!" She releases it, which is painted white now after being purified, then tosses her Lucky Charm in the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

As magic dust fills the air, Chat Noir approaches her with a flat look on his face. "This _sucks_ ," he says.

"Upset that you're losing six to three?" Ladybug smirks. "This is karma for being so mean to me."

"Just you watch—I'll bounce right back," Chat Noir growls.

"LADYBUG! CHAT NOIR! Oh, this is so _exciting_!" Alya suddenly screams, interrupting them. "Can I have an interview? How old are you two? Could you guys be in high school? What were you doing with that tenth grade History textbook, Ladybug?"

Ladybug's earrings beep, signaling the near-end of her transformation. "Sorry, Alya! I don't have much time today," Ladybug says, latching her yoyo onto the rails of a house's roof. "But before I go, I'll have you know I'm much older than a high schooler."

Ladybug pulls on the string of her weapon and flies off, disappearing behind the buildings. Alya then turns to Chat Noir and asks, "And you? How old are you, Chat Noir?"

"When there's a Ladybug, there's a Black Cat—or in this case, a Chat Noir," Chat Noir winks before leaving.

Alya grins as she watches him go.

"They're the best!"

* * *

Back at the Egyptian exhibit, Alya runs into the room, joining up with Marinette.

"Marinette, you're safe!" Alya exclaims, hugging her best friend. "Where have you been?"

"You won't believe this! I got _mummified_!" Marinette lies.

"I hope you weren't one of the ones trying to swap me for Nefertiti," Alya jokes.

"What?! You were almost sacrificed!" Marinette screams, faking worry. "Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere? What happened? Why were you chosen?"

"I apparently looked like this chick Nefertiti loves five thousand years ago," Alya explains. "But Chat Noir and Ladybug came to the rescue, so it's all good. Ladybug's on the lead, by the way! Hopefully Chat Noir _cat_ ches up!"

Marinette slaps her forehead. "Alya, please don't," she groans.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," she shrugs. "Oh, and if it weren't for you, I never would've found out that Ladybug _and_ Chat Noir are at least five thousand years old!"

"No way!" Marinette says.

Alya nods excitedly. "I still don't get it though, what was she doing with that tenth grade history textbook," she says, grabbing her backpack that has been left behind when she was kidnapped by Pharaoh.

"She… probably had to find out what's been going on for the past fifty centuries," Marinette says.

"You're probably right," Alya says, reaching into her backpack to get the History book out. She panics when all she feels is her pencil case, and she takes her backpack off to get a better look inside. She opens it up fully and looks inside, crying, "Ladybug's text book! It's gone!"

Marinette laughs into her palm, taking a split-second glance at the spot she hid the textbook in. She'll be sure to come back at the end of the day to pick it up.

* * *

The crescent moon replaces the sun in the sky, and Marinette is getting ready for bed after a long, tiring day. She luckily managed to get her History book back, convincing Alya that she isn't Ladybug. Chat Noir was a big pain and a sore loser like always, but he did help her out of that time bubble, and it made her somewhat happy.

"Who exactly _was_ that Ladybug in the papyrus?" Marinette asks her kwami, putting her History textbook down. "I'm obviously not five thousand years old."

"Kwamis like me and superheroes like you have always existed!" Tikki exclaims, throwing her little hands up in the air. "Once the bad guy is defeated, in this case it's Hawkmoth, I go on to look for another Ladybug. I've been doing that for centuries now!"

"So, you mean to tell me that you're five _thousand_ years old?" Marinette asks.

"I'm older than that! I'm the kwami who's watched over every single Ladybug since the very beginning," Tikki smiles. "Every Ladybug was different, but they did all have _one_ thing in common."

"What is that?" Marinette asks, picking her kwami up with her hands.

"They all developed a crush on Chat Noir!" Tikki laughs when Marinette's face turns red.

"Wh-who said I like Chat Noir?" Marinette fumbles, turning away.

The ladybug kwami giggles. "There are other Miraculouses, you know? There's the Butterfly bow, the Fox necklace, the Bee comb, the Peacock clip, the Turtle bracelet. But for some reason, every Ladybug has always fallen for Black Cat."

"Why do you think so?" Marinette asks.

"It makes a bit of sense. The Ladybug and the Black Cat hold the most powerful Miraculouses, and their powers are complimentary. They're like yin and yang," Tikki explains.

"Did every Chat Noir hate Ladybug though?" Marinette sighs at the thought of her rival. She just can't figure out what she did wrong that could make him hate her so much.

Tikki shakes her head. "The same goes for Black Cat as well—each one has always fallen for Ladybug. Maybe Chat Noir will develop a soft spot for you one day."

"Or maybe we're just the odd ones out," Marinette frowns. "And you said that the former Ladybug's and Black Cat's worked as a team, right? Have you ever gotten a Ladybug and Black Cat who always argue? A Ladybug and Black Cat who are _rivals_?"

"I've had quite a few, believe it or not. But it all worked out in the end," Tikki smiles, flying out of Marinette's palms to lie next to her wielder's pillow. She lies down, her back facing Marinette, and closes her eyes, ignoring Marinette questions.

"All worked out in the end? What do you mean by that? Tikki?" Marinette asks, but doesn't get a response. "Tikki?" She sighs after another moment of silence, and closes her lamp to get some sleep. "Good night."

"You'll see, Marinette," Tikki thinks, smiling. "You'll see."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Oh my gosh, I can _feel_ the get-it-over-with-ness of this chapter. _The Pharaoh_ is clearly not one of my favorites. ;-;

 **Concerning last chapter (Timebreaker):** I uploaded the _wrong_ file the first time around. I wrote two versions of the chapter, so anyone who read the one where Alya posts the video of Chat Noir saving Ladybug on her blogs, _please ignore it (because it makes no sense)_. And Ladybug captured two akumas last chapter, not just one. Thank you to those who pointed it out, otherwise I never would have realized I uploaded the wrong file! Feel free to re-read the end to see the changes!

Thank you for the favorites and alerts, and especially the reviews! You guys are the sweetest! :')

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 6  
Chat Noir: 3**

 _Next Episode: Lady Wifi_


	9. Lady Wifi: No Connection

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 09_

Lady Wifi: No Connection

"I'm very pleased with how you all did on your last assignment. Some of you have really stepped up, and I do appreciate it. Now it's time to move on to our next assignment," Mme Bustier tells the class.

While the teacher explains the rules of the newest assignment, Alya takes a printed picture she has of Ladybug and cuts the superheroine's face off with scissors. She holds the picture over each of her female classmates to hopefully find the perfect match.

She tests it on Rose first, but it just doesn't match at all. She's too petite to be Ladybug. After Rose, Alya holds the picture over Juleka, but it's an imperfect match as well. Juleka's bangs are far too long for her to be Ladybug. Alix is too short, Sabrina has glasses, and Chloe—

"Alya."

Alya turns to Mme Bustier and accidentally holds the picture over her homeroom teacher's face. She quickly puts the cut-out back into her notebook and smiles sheepishly.

The teacher drifts her eyes over to the empty seat next to Alya. "Is Marinette _still_ in the washroom?" Mme Bustier asks. Alya glares at Chloe and Sabrina for giggling at the question.

"I don't know, Miss," Alya replies, shrugging. The bell suddenly rings, signaling the end of class. While everyone packs up their things, their teacher hands out a piece of paper to each one of her students.

"Tonight I want you all to read chapter three of _France, the First Thousand Years_. Then, answer this simple questionnaire," she explains. Mme Bustier hands two papers to Alya, telling her, "See to it that Marinette receives her homework."

"Sure thing," she nods, leaving with an extra bag and paper in her hands.

After class, Alya goes to the washroom to see if her best friend really is still in there. Marinette isn't, she discovers, so Alya goes around the entire school asking any of her classmates if they've seen Marinette. Unfortunately, no one has.

The locker room is the last place on her list, but she doubts very much that Marinette would be in there. She goes anyway—just in case—and she's surprised to find Chloe at her locker. Alya sees the blonde look around suspiciously, so Alya stays hidden to see what she has to hide. Alya covers her mouth to stop herself from gasping when she sees Chloe put a ladybug-printed costume into her bag, as well as a ladybug-printed yoyo.

"Chloe's Ladybug?!" Alya whispers out loud to herself. Chloe runs past without noticing her, and Alya follows right behind. She follows the possible-Ladybug all the way outside, and watches her climb into her limousine.

Nino passes by, but before he could have a chance to leave, Alya grabs his arm. "Nino!" she exclaims, startling him.

"Alya? What's up?" Nino asks.

"Come with me, I need your help!" Alya says, pulling him away. Nino holds onto his hat while he's being dragged away by her, shocked by how _strong_ Alya really is. He wouldn't be surprised if she tears his arm off because of her brute strength.

They end up at the park nearby, and Alya orders Nino to sit on the park bench with her. "Hold up, before I tell you the news, I have to call Marinette," she tells him, taking out her cellphone and quickly tapping Marinette's face on her contact list.

" _It's Marinette, leave a message. Beep!"_

"Ugh, I _hate_ it when she goes AWOL," Alya says, putting her phone down. She checks her text messages, disappointed to not receive even _one_ from Marinette. "She's not calling me back! Where is that girl?!"

"Seriously! Adrien's the exact same way. But I guess you have to be sly when Mr. Control Freak is your dad," Nino laughs. "Who knows? Maybe they've sneaked off somewhere together." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, making Alya smack him in the back of his head.

A notification pops up on her phone, and Alya taps it to see Ladybug and Chat Noir on the news. "Once again, Ladybug and Chat Noir have successfully saved a bus full of people from falling off the bridge. Our two heroes never fail us!" the news reporter says.

On the screen, Alya sees Ladybug's yoyo and briefly remembers seeing the exact same one held by Chloe. "I knew it," Alya says, pausing the video. She points down at Ladybug's weapon and turns to Nino, saying, "You see that yoyo? _That_ helped me figure out exactly _who_ Ladybug is!"

"You mean to say you found her true identity?!" Nino screams, eyes wide. "No way!"

Alya nods. "Yes way!" she exclaims. She looks around before leaning into Nino's ear and whispers, "Chloe Bourgeois."

There's a moment of silence, until Nino starts laughing hysterically.

"Chloe? _Chloe_?" Nino guffaws, wiping a tear from laughing too much. "Quit lying, Alya. That chick's _way_ too self-absorbed to think of anyone but herself, much less save the world. You 're _crazy_."

"I am not!" Alya fumes. "You'll see!"

* * *

Ladybug leaps from roof to roof after stopping a bus from plunging into the water. Chat Noir was cocky as always, taking all the attention from the cameras even though he wasn't the only one to stop the bus from falling. But Ladybug shrugged it off—Chat Noir was a hero even though he acted like a villain towards her.

Ladybug jumps off the roof she's currently standing on and de-transforms behind a billboard. Marinette walks away as if nothing happened, and starts walking in the direction of home.

"Time flies fast when you're saving people. The day's already over!" Tikki exclaims from her place in Marinette's purse.

"Tell me about it. I missed an entire half day of school," Marinette sighs. "And I always ditch Alya. I feel so bad and I know she gets upset with me—the amount of messages and missed calls I get proves it."

Marinette makes it home and opens the door of the bakery. The smell of fresh bread and sweet cakes greet her upon entering, and she looks up to see her mother waiting by the counter.

"Hey, mom," Marinette greets, yawning.

"Alya brought your school bag home for you," Sabine says, handing her daughter her pink bag. "You seem so exhausted and forgetful these days. Maybe you should take a rest before starting your homework."

"I'd love to, but I won't end up doing my homework if I go to sleep now," Marinette says. "I'll probably end up waking up the next day without having done it."

"Well, it can't be helped. The student life is hard," Sabine says. "Don't overwork yourself, honey."

"Too late," Marinette yawns as she climbs up the stairs to her bedroom. She takes a seat at her study desk groaning, "Ladybug saved Parisians from danger, but who's going to save Marinette from her homework?"

Marinette takes her tablet out and notices a yellow sticky note on top of it. She unsticks the note and reads it out loud, "Call me. I know who the real Ladybug is?!"

Tikki gasps. "No way! You think she knows?"

"I doubt it. Alya's always jumping to conclusion before she has facts straight. I'll clear this up," Marinette laughs, taking her phone out. She punches in Alya's number, but it doesn't work. "Crap, no signal."

Marinette climbs up to her balcony to try to get signal to contact Alya, when she sees a technician playing with the signal's wire box. The man notices her and informs her, "Sorry, Miss—cell tower maintenance. The whole neighborhood's down. No signal for the next hour."

Marinette groans. "Alright, thank you," she says before popping her head back into her room.

"Come on, Marinette. Try again later. Let's head down and finish your homework," Tikki says.

Marinette nods.

* * *

The next day at school, Alya and Nino are waiting outside for Chloe to get to school. A white limousine parks itself in front of the school, and the Queen Bee herself exits from it. She insults everyone and anyone on her way to the entrance, making Nino scratch his head in confusion.

"I think you need to get your head examined," Nino tells Alya when Chloe makes yet another nasty remark to a student. "If she's Ladybug, then I'm Hawkmoth."

"I'm telling you, she _is_ Ladybug!" Alya says, peering inside the school doors to see where Chloe is going.

"Can you prove it?" Nino asks. Alya pulls him by the collar and drags him all the way to the lockers when she sees Chloe walk there.

They wait until Chloe opens up her locker, and right after she does, Alya turns to Nino and cups his cheeks with her hands. "Don't mess up your lines or _I will kill you_ ," Alya threatens, making Nino gulp. After giving her a nod, Alya pushes him over to Chloe with all her might, making him slam into the lockers next to the blonde.

"Oh, uh, um…" Nino stammers, fixing his baseball cap. He then points to the left, exclaiming, "Ladybug, look over there!"

Chloe turns to where he's pointing at, and not seeing anything interesting, she directs her attention back to Nino and says in a snobbish fashion, "What kind of lame joke is this?"

"Uhh, well, that was…" Nino takes a quick glance at Alya, who gestures for him to keep going. "Did… you see Ladybug yesterday? Isn't she amazing? I wonder who she _really_ is."

Chloe pushes Nino when the boy invades her personal bubble. "Is your head screwed on right?" Chloe scoffs, taking the textbooks she needs for her next class. While she's doing so, Alya sneaks up behind her and snaps a picture of the inside of her locker. Before she could leave without anyone noticing, her face blanches when she sees Kim and Sabrina walk into the locker area from the corner of her eye.

"Chloe! Alya took a picture of your locker!" Sabrina screams, pointing at the guilty.

Alya immediately hides her phone behind her back when Chloe turns around to look at her. "That's a lie! I so was not!" Kim takes the phone out of her hands and holds it up too high for Alya to reach. "Hey! Give that back to me, it's mine!"

Chloe holds her hand out, and Kim passes her Alya's cellphone. The blonde unlocks her lock screen and looks through her photo album, tapping on the most recent picture. She holds it up for Alya to see and says, "So, you didn't take a picture, did you?"

* * *

"She's guilty of invasion of privacy! I have proof!"

"What?! Seriously! All I did was take a measly photo!"

Chloe, Alya, Sabrina and Kim are in Principal Damocles' office after the blonde decided to snitch on Alya. Chloe always has to get her way, and she just finds it so fun ruining people's lives because she's the mayor's daughter. Status is something she abuses quite often.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. But there's no school policy on invasion of privacy," Mr. Damocles explains.

Chloe furrows her eyebrows. "Then… then breaking and entering!" she says, crossing her arms.

"I didn't break into her locker! It was open!" Alya argues angrily.

"And nothing was stolen?" the principal asks.

"Only my very soul!" Chloe cries, making Alya roll her eyes. "My locker is my secret garden! He who enters uninvited burglarizes my inner being and steals my life force!" She gets up and fake cries into Kim's chest to seem convincing.

"…Right," Mr. Damocles says. If he doesn't give Alya any punishment at all, Chloe would surely throw a fit, and he's not exactly looking forward to that at all. He turns to Alya and sends her a look of apology before sighing, "An hour of detention for you, Alya."

"Are my ears failing me?" Chloe says, cupping a hand around on of her ears once she's done fake crying. "Did I hear you say you're giving one miserable hour of detention to a… a heinous criminal?" She snaps her fingers. "Sabrina!"

The redhead comes forward with a clipboard and reads aloud, "The school rules clearly say that any student guilty of theft should be suspended for one full week."

"Yes, but she's hardly stolen anything," Mr. Damocles says. "I cannot suspend an innocent student."

"Innocent?" Chloe scoffs, taking out her cellphone and tapping the picture of her father on her contact list. "I'm pretty sure that my _father_ would share your point of view."

"Uh, well, now, Chloe, let's not bother your father, I mean, the honorable Mayor with a minor locker situation," the principal laughs nervously.

Straight-faced, Chloe taps the _Call_ button.

"What I mean is, you're suspended for a week, Alya," he says, and Chloe hangs up with a smirk on her face.

"What?! That is so unfair!" Alya yells, standing up. "I am so going to protest this on the school blog!"

The principal looks up at Chloe and sighs, "The school blog is hereby suspended as well."

Alya takes her phone and sends Chloe one last death glare before screaming, "She's not a superhero, she's a super- _villain_!"

* * *

In Mme Bustier's class, Adrien takes his usual seat next to Nino. He greets his best friend a good morning before taking his school things out of his backpack.

Nino looks around the class before whispering to Adrien, "Dude, did you hear from Alya?"

"Hear what?" Adrien asks, taking his pencil case out.

"Alya says Chloe is _Ladybug_!" Nino exclaims.

" _What_?!" Adrien screams, dropping his pencil case, and startling the entire class. He blushes under the attention he unintentionally put on himself and asks Nino, "There's no way she's Ladybug!"

Nino shrugs. "I don't believe it either. No offense, dude—I know she's your friend and all, but the Ladybug who saves Paris is kind-hearted unlike _her_ ," he says.

Adrien turns to look at Chloe, who winks at him flirtatiously. Adrien responds by giving her an awkward smile.

Mme Bustier walks into the classroom and starts the course right away, talking about the History of France and reviewing what they did the class before. Marinette sneaks into the classroom fifteen minutes later and quietly makes it to her seat.

"Nino, where's Alya?" Marinette whispers.

"Suspended," Nino answers.

" _What_?!" Marinette screams, startling the class and the teacher. Her face grows red at the attention.

"Marinette, if you're going to come late, would you please do it discretely?" Mme Bustier says sternly before turning around to continue writing on the blackboard.

"Sorry…" Marinette says. She continues whispering to Nino, "What happened to her?"

"Long story short—she got accused of breaking into Chloé's locker. I mean, _Ladybug's_ locker," Nino answers.

" _What_?!" Marinette screams a second time, covering her mouth after realizing her actions. Adrien slaps his forehead at her idiocy. The klutz can't stay quiet, can she?

"That's it, Marinette! Go to the principal's office!" Mme Bustier yells, pointing at the door. Marinette apologizes once more before leaving her classroom with her head hung low.

Marinette walks down the hallways in shame and finally makes it to the door of her principal's office. She knocks on it three times, calling out, "Mr. Damocles?" When she doesn't receive a response, she lets herself in and asks, "Sir?"

She opens up the door to see Principal Damocles frozen in place with a glowing pink _Stop_ symbol on his chest. Marinette gasps in surprise and approaches him, when the computer screen suddenly lights up to reveal a scarlet-haired girl with a black and white costume. A glowing white wifi signal is printed across her chest.

"Alya?!" Marinette cries.

"I'm Lady Wifi, revealer of the truth!" akumatized Alya says. "For our first exposé, your principal would like to share a little tidbit with you." She walks over to the principal sitting on his chair and places an elbow on his shoulder. "So, Mr. Damocles, is it true you wrongly suspended a student named Alya today?"

The principal looks down in guilt. "Yes, it is," he answers.

"So, you were biased? Unfair? Totally unjust?!" Lady Wifi screams.

"Yes, I was," Mr. Damocles gulps.

"Tikki, time to transform!" Marinette says, opening up her purse to let Tikki out.

The ladybug kwami flies to her eye-level and exclaims, "You're going to have a fight with your best friend!"

"Nope," Marinette says, shaking her head with a smile on her face. "I'm going to have to _save_ my best friend! TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming into Ladybug, she looks into the screen once more to hear Lady Wifi's last words.

"For my next scoop, I'll be taking you to meet the girl who's been hiding behind the Ladybug mask!" Lady Wifi swipes her phone and the glowing pink _Stop_ symbol hits Principal Damocles, freezing him. She smirks, "Stay connected."

* * *

One the roof of a townhouse near nighttime, Chat Noir takes his staff out and zooms in on one of the Grand Hotel de Paris' windows to see Chloe in a Ladybug costume swirling a ladybug-printed yoyo in her hands. Immediately, Chat Noir _knows_ she isn't Ladybug—her hair is obviously blonde and up in a ponytail, as opposed to Ladybug's black hair and low pigtails.

"Don't tell me you actually _believe_ she's Ladybug."

Chat Noir turns around to see his black-haired rival standing next to him, zooming in on the window as well with her ladybug-printed compact.

"The hair's a dead giveaway," Chat Noir says, pointing at her pigtails. He smirks, "I know my rival's five-year-old hairstyle when I see it."

"Shut up," Ladybug scowls, running a hand through one of her pigtails self-consciously.

"I gave Chloe a second thought because it's possible for Ladybug's hair to change when she's transformed, but I don't think the title _superhero_ matches Chloe very well," Chat Noir laughs. "I hate to say it, but it's true."

"My hair only gets a few shades lighter, but not enough for me to become blonde," Ladybug laughs. "Does _your_ hair change color?"

"Nope, it just gets messy because of my ears," Chat Noir says, flopping his cat ears.

The television screens all over Paris suddenly turn on, surprising both superheroes. Lady Wifi appears on screen in what appears to be a hotel room, and she says, "Well, well, well. So my hunch was right. Everyone thinks the girl beneath the Ladybug costume is a little angel. Think again, people! The real Ladybug is…" Lady Wifi moves aside to reveal a frozen Chloe with a _Pause_ symbol over her. "Chloe Bourgeois!"

Chat Noir and Ladybug suddenly barge into the hotel room through the balcony, making Lady Wifi look back and forth between Chloe and Ladybug.

She places her two hands on her hips and asks Ladybug, "Who are _you_?"

"The _real_ Ladybug," Ladybug answers confidently.

Lady Wifi turns to the frozen Chloe and screams, "But I thought _you_ were Ladybug!"

"Sorry to bust your new story, next time double-check your facts," Chat Noir smirks, taking his staff out.

"You'll be sorry," Lady Wifi glares, swiping an _x_ over her phone's screen. This cancels the _Pause_ symbol on Chloe and the _Record_ signal above them. Chloe continues her screaming and trips and falls on the floor.

"Alya!" Ladybug cries. "Stop this!"

"Alya's been disconnected. I'm Lady Wifi now!" Lady Wifi snickers. "Ladybug, let's find out who you _really_ are!" She swipes at her phone, launching _Pause_ signals in every direction. Ladybug and Chat Noir manage to dodge them flawlessly and run out the door without pausing. Lady Wifi follows closely behind, shooting as many _Pause_ and _Stop_ symbols in their direction. Luckily for them, she misses them each time.

"The akuma's in her cellphone for sure!" Chat Noir exclaims, running down the stairs as fast as he can.

"Then let's lead her to the basement, where there is no service!" Ladybug grins. "No service, no power!"

"Well, you're smart for once," Chat Noir teases, making Ladybug roll her eyes. The two heroes reach the basement, and Lady Wifi, upon realizing she's out of signal, heads back up the stairs.

Chat Noir and Ladybug start running back up the stairs, seeing a glowing pink _Locked_ symbol on every door on their way up.

"She locked all the doors!" Ladybug cries.

"Thanks for the obvious piece of information," Chat Noir says sassily. Ladybug chooses to ignore his rude comment. They stop running upon seeing a door without the pink symbol on it, and Chat Noir says, "She's left this one unlocked. I smell an ambush."

Ladybug nods. "Get ready for one in three, two, one!"

Both heroes kick the door open with their weapons at the ready, surprised to find no one inside the room. They walk towards the dining room, noticing a phone sitting on top of each of the tables.

"Where is she hiding? And what's up with all these phones?" Ladybug asks.

A pink light suddenly emits from a cellphone, and Lady Wifi digitalizes out of it. She throws a _Pause_ symbol in their direction, in which both heroes dodge at the last second. Ladybug manages to tie her down with the string of her yoyo, but Lady Wifi digitalizes out of it and re-digitalizes over every cellphone in the room.

"Can't catch me!" Lady Wifi grins.

"Oh, yes I can," Ladybug says, breaking every phone on the tables with her yoyo. Lady Wifi runs into the kitchen and Ladybug follows, narrowly dodging the _Locked_ symbol. The doors behind her shut, trapping her in with the akumatized victim, and locking Chat Noir out.

"Seriously?!" comes Chat Noir's muffled cry from the other side of the door.

Lady Wifi throws a _Pause_ symbol at Ladybug, and curses when she misses a non-moving target. Ladybug tries fighting her off with her yoyo and the kitchen supplies, crying out in horror when her hands are locked to the wall behind her.

Lady Wifi swipes a _Record_ symbol above them and announces to all of Paris, "Who is Ladybug? Is she a superhero or a super-weirdo? How can we trust the girl when we have no idea who she really is? We have the right to know!" Lady Wifi attempts to take Ladybug's mask off, but to no avail. "Why doesn't it come off?"

"Uh… magic?" Ladybug laughs sheepishly.

The service elevator suddenly beeps, and Chat Noir climbs out of it with a smirk of his face. "You're out of minutes, Lady Wifi!" If Ladybug's hands were available, she would've slapped her forehead.

"Oh, how romantic," Lady Wifi coos. "The Tramp's here to save his Lady."

" _Tramp_?!" Chat Noir cries, offended.

" _His_ Lady?!" Ladybug cries, her left eye twitching.

"What? Would you have preferred it if I called you his _lovebug_?" Lady Wifi cackles.

"There's nothing romantic going on between us at all!" Chat Noir screams. "I feel absolutely _no_ connection with that klutz!"

"Can't you go a mission without insulting me for once?!" Ladybug cries, face flushed.

Lady Wifi interrupts their bickering by shooting a _Pause_ at Chat Noir, who manages to dodge it, but he's knocked into the freezer when the akumatized victim successfully throws a _Locked_ at the door behind him.

This causes Chat Noir to hit the wall of the freezer, making his ring fall off his finger. Plagg tumbles to the floor and shivers, "It's freezing in here!"

"Crap, my ring!" Adrien cries, rubbing his arms to try to create heat. He then drops to his knees and starts looking around, feeling the floor to try to locate his Miraculous. "Plagg, mind lending me a hand here?"

"Well, your cat's about to become a catsicle," Lady Wifi laughs. She swipes an _x_ over her phone, freeing Ladybug from the locks. "Good luck with your kitty-cat! I've got other news to cover." Lady Wifi digitalizes out of the room, leaving behind a confused Ladybug.

"Why didn't she…?" Ladybug shrugs and then runs straight to the freezer door. She pounds on the door with her fists, crying, "I'm getting you out of there, Chat Noir!"

"Wh-why?" she hears Chat Noir shiver from the other side.

Quoting him from the Pharaoh episode, Ladybug smiles, "It's no fun defeating the villain without anyone to go against."

Chat Noir is silent for a few seconds, until: "Hurry up, then."

Ladybug laughs. "LUCKY CHARM!"

A ladybug-printed box falls into her hands and she could hear Chat Noir say in a high-pitched voice from the freezer, "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Do you want me to save you or not?" Ladybug roars. She memorizes the red and black polka-dotted pattern and exclaims, "That's it!" Ladybug places the microwave on top of a rolling tray and places her Lucky Charm into it. She punches in five minutes and kicks it close to the door, saying, "Come on, come on, jam the signal!"

The microwave explodes, making the pink _Locked_ symbol melt away, and Ladybug pushes the freezer's door open to free her rival. Chat Noir falls to the floor due to the freezing cold, and Ladybug gets down to check if he's all right.

"Chat Noir? Are you okay?" Ladybug asks worriedly, shaking him.

Chat Noir looks up and grins, "Yeah, I'm _cool_." Ladybug's Miraculous suddenly makes a warning beep. "You're going to transform back soon."

"Yeah, and I used up my Lucky Charm on you, so I think you're winning the tally mark this time," Ladybug groans.

"Good for me, then," Chat Noir grins, getting up. "I see the microwave's busted, so that leaves one last escape plan…" His eyes take a glance at one of the pans sitting on the kitchen's counter. "Or should I say… _pan_?"

"That one's a bit of a stretch."

"Shut up."

Chat Noir takes one of the pans and covers the _Record_ signal so that Lady Wifi wouldn't be able to see what they're going to do. Once the pan is fixed over it, the black cat jumps right into the service elevator.

"I'm finishing this off once and for all," Chat Noir says, hitting the elevator button. Upon reaching the top floor, Chat Noir takes a peak to see if the coast is clear, narrowly dodging one of Lady Wifi's _Pause_ symbols. He cartwheels right through the Exit door, leading him all the way up to the roof. He scans the area and casts Cataclysm when he sees the wifi antenna.

Before he could touch the pole, glowing pink electrical currents spark over it, leading up to the top, where Lady Wifi appears over it.

"Good idea, you tomcat, but I'm not going to let you cut me off so easily!" Lady Wifi cackles, attacking him with more symbols. Chat Noir performs a backflip, missing every single _Pause_ thrown his way.

Chat Noir distracts her by throwing his staff at her, which Lady Wifi dodges with ease. The staff then splits into two, which she pauses with her pink symbols. Her eyes widen upon realizing she got distracted, and it's too late for her to do anything when she catches eye of Chat Noir touching the pole with his Cataclysm.

The wifi antenna turns into rust, making Lady Wifi fall to the floor. She checks her phone, and watches in horror as her wifi and signal symbols disappear. Chat Noir catches his split staffs in mid-air once the pink symbols melt away, and fights with a staff in each hand.

"Lost the signal!" Lady Wifi shrieks.

"Give me that phone!" Chat Noir screams, charging at her.

The superhero and the akumatized victim battle it out on the roof of the hotel, and Chat Noir is surprised by how good she is at hand-to-hand combat. He eventually manages to pin her to the ground and smash her phone with his staff, making a black butterfly emerge from the broken item.

Chat Noir's staffs join together to form one again, and a glowing green ball of energy forms at the tip of it. He catches the black butterfly in the same fashion as catching one with a net, trapping the butterfly inside the bubble. A burst of light surrounds the insect, and when he releases it, a white butterfly flies out of it instead.

Ladybug bursts through the door in time to see a black and violet cloud surround Lady Wifi, turning her back into Alya.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir exclaims, pounding the end of his staff against the floor of the roof. Magic dust fills the air, fixing everything that's broken and healing all that's hurt.

Ladybug approaches her rival with a smile. "Well done, Chat Noir."

"Of course. Did you expect any less?" Chat Noir asks, flexing his muscles.

"I take it back, you cocky jerk," Ladybug says flatly. "I should've just let you freeze to death."

"But you didn't," Chat Noir smirks.

"L-Ladybug! Chat Noir!" Alya exclaims, jumping up and down excitedly. "How did I end up here? Did I get akumatized? Can I get an interview? Just let me grab my phone!"

"I'm afraid we can't," Chat Noir says. "We've only got a minute or two before our transformations—"

"Wear out! I get it," Alya nods. "Maybe next time?"

Ladybug nods. "You can count on it."

Chat Noir and Ladybug run through the Exit door of the roof and down the stairs as fast as they can. Their Miraculouses make its final warning beep, forcing them both to stop at the latest floor.

"I call dibs on the closet!" Ladybug says, sprinting towards it. Chat Noir beats her to it, however, and pokes his head out just to stick his tongue out at her.

"Cat's closet," he says in a sing-song voice.

Chat Noir pokes his head back inside the closet, failing to close it fully shut. Ladybug sees the flash of green and places her hand on the knob, hesitating whether she should open the door or not. She finally decides against it and shuts the door. She exits the floor and heads down to the room below them instead.

Her transformation wears off the second she closes the room's door, and Tikki flies into her cupped hands.

"What happened back there, Marinette?" Tikki asks. "You could've discovered his true identity!"

"I know, I know," Marinette sighs.

"What stopped you?"

Marinette sighs. "He wouldn't want me to know who he really is."

* * *

Marinette is on her roof balcony, looking out into Paris' afternoon sky. It's a mix of blue and pink and orange and purple, and it couldn't look more beautiful. The thought of finding out who Chat Noir really is invades her mind, and she regrets with all her heart not opening up that closet door.

"Marinette!"

Marinette turns around to see Alya climb up the ladder onto the balcony. She shakes her cellphone in her hand, exclaiming, "Check out my new smartphone! It puts my old phone to shame! Just look at these pics!

"…Why do you have pictures of Adrien?" Marinette asks, raising an eyebrow.

"An ad of him popped up while I was posting a new post on the Miraculous Chat, and when I minimized his ad, his face just so happened to be in the exact same place as Chat Noir's on my blog!" Alya says, swiping her phone to reveal a photoshopped picture of Adrien. "With a mask and a costume, don't you think he looks a little bit like Chat Noir?"

"You're kidding, right?" Marinette scoffs. "Chat Noir is _way_ cooler than _Adrien_."

"So, you're on Team Chat, huh?" Alya asks, laughing.

Marinette smiles. "I always have been."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M SO PROUD OF THIS CHAPTER LOL.

Ladybug and Chat Noir traded places in the closet part asdfghjkl. And I never understood how no one noticed that Ladybug-costumed Chloe was _blonde_?! Like. Ladybug has black hair and pigtails. And Alya and Chat Noir actually thought she could be Ladybug. I do not understand.

The next chapter is halfway done, so expect it to be out soon! I'm so proud of it as well LOL. (I love Nathanael a lot okay). (My son).

Thank you for the favorites, alerts and reviews!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 6  
Chat Noir: 4**

 _Next Episode: The Evillustrator_


	10. The Evillustrator: Drawing Closer to You

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 10_

The Evillustrator: Drawing Closer to You

"Our next Science project will be done in pairs," Mme Mendeleiev tells the class, and her words are followed by the sound of cheering. "However, _I_ will be picking the teams."

At this, the cheers are replaced with groans, and everyone tearfully says goodbye to the person they wanted to be with. They should've expected this—this _is_ Mme Mendeleiev after all. She _always_ decides everything and for everyone.

"Why can't we pick our own teams?" Kim asks, his elbow resting on his desk and his palm on his cheek.

"Because I've already decided, and no one's changing my mind. That's final," Mme Mendeleiev says strictly. She picks up the piece of paper with the teams written on them and says out loud, "For Team One—well, would you look at that—Kim and Alix."

Alix, who's sitting in front of Kim, turns around to glare at him. "I know how you are, and you better work," she glares. "Don't even _think_ about leaving all the work to me, meathead."

"What're you going to do about it if I don't, pipsqueak?" Kim counters, leaning in to glare at the pink-haired girl. Alix punches his forehead, making him cry out in pain and mutter, "O-okay. I'll work."

Mme Mendeleiev rolls her eyes at her two students' interaction. It's a good decision, however, and she's not planning on making them switch partners anytime soon. Hard-working, hate-to-lose Alix might just help unmotivated, I-just-want-to-play-sports-all-day Kim. She continues, "Team Two, Ivan and Mylene."

Mylene, who's sitting at the front of the class, turns her head to take a glance at Ivan, who's sitting at the back. Once they have eye contact, Mylene turns back to the front and Ivan looks down at his desk, and both of their faces are bright pink.

"Team Three, Chloe and Sabrina," Mme Mendeleiev says, and she watches both girls high-five each other. Chloe would surely throw a fit if she isn't placed with Sabrina. It's the easy way out of trouble. (And let's face it— _no one_ would want to work with Chloe besides Sabrina). (Mme Mendeleiev isn't _that_ mean).

"Team Four, Rose and Juleka."

Rose's giggle echoes throughout the classroom, and the blonde takes Juleka's hands in hers. The two are best friends, inseparable, and separating them would be a sin.

"Team Five, Nino and Alya."

Nino, who's sitting in front of Alya, turns around to give her a fist-bump. "We are so going to kill this project," Alya grins. "I can _taste_ the hundred-percent."

"Same here, man," Nino laughs, fixing his baseball cap. "This is going to be so much fun."

"You guys are so lucky you're together," Marinette frowns. "Being paired up with a friend is the best thing in the world."

"Yeah, seriously," Adrien says, joining in on the conversation. His eyes suddenly widen—something his friends clearly noticed. "Wait. If Nino and Alya are together… then…"

Marinette's face pales upon realizing what could possibly happen. "No. No, no, _no_ ," she says, shaking her head. "I'd rather be in a team with _Chloe_ than be on a team with _you_."

"Oh yeah? Well, same here!" Adrien argues back, offended by her words. Chloe _was_ his first friend, but she could be a bit mean and bossy and spoiled sometimes (aka all the time). And Adrien knows that Marinette dislikes Chloe with a passion, so to hear that he's _below_ Chloe in her list, he feels a slight pang in his chest.

"Now, for our two last teams," Mme Mendeleiev says, fixing her glasses. Adrien and Marinette lean in, eager to hear the name of their teammate. Their Science teacher puts the paper down and says, "Team Six, Adrien and Max. Team Seven, Nathanael and Marinette."

While Marinette jumps with joy on the inside, Adrien is slightly disappointed. Max is a great guy, but he really did want to be with… someone else.

"Is that clear?" Mme Mandeleiev asks, and each one of her students but one answers her with a _yes_. The teacher shifts her attention to the one who didn't answer—Nathanael. He's looking down instead of looking up, and he appears to be drawing instead of listening. "Nathanael, I said, is that clear?"

Nathanael doesn't look up.

"Nathanael!" Mme Mendeleiev says slightly angrily. When the redhead doesn't give her a response, she stomps her way over to him and slams a hand on his desk, startling him. " _Nathanael_ , what are you drawing?!"

"N-nothing!" Nathanael says, throwing his arms over his sketchbook to hide the comic he's currently working on.

"And these artistic endeavors are clearly why you are failing Science," the teacher says rudely, embarrassing poor Nathanael. "I'll bet you didn't even _hear_ who your teammate is."

"T-teammate?" Nathanael stutters.

Mme Mendeleiev rolls her eyes and tells him, "You're on Team Seven with Marinette for the newest project. But since you were too occupied with other things, head right to the principal's office and explain everything to him. _Go_!"

Face red with embarrassment, Nathanael quickly picks his things up and begins walking towards the door. However, he accidentally trips over a backpack on his way there, sending his sketchbook flying out of his arms. The book falls open next to Chloe's desk, who laughs upon seeing the drawings on it.

"Look, Sabrina," Chloe cackles, pointing down at the sketchbook. "It's Nathanael as a superhero—and oh, look who he's hugging—it's _Marinette_! He's definitely crushing on you!"

Marinette displays a look of surprise when Nathanael hurriedly picks up his fallen item, and her eyes follow him until he rushes out of the classroom, his face as red as his hair.

"Nathanael… likes me?" Marinette asks herself quietly.

She fails to see the scowl that appears on Adrien's face upon hearing her words.

* * *

After class, Marinette packs up her things and gets up from her seat to look for her partner. Nathanael never came back after he left—Mme Mendeleiev and Chloe _did_ embarrass him in front of the entire class. Marinette wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't be able to look her in the eye after Chloe exposed his crush on her.

She walks around the school, asking around for Nathanael, but unfortunately, no one has seen him since Science class. Marinette walks into the library and sits on one of the study desks, placing her schoolbag on top of it.

She slumps in her chair, sighing, "Where are you, Nathanel?"

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of familiar screaming, and Marinette turns around to see Chloe being chased by… a giant hairdryer?!

"No, not the hair! _Get away_!" Chloe shrieks, running around the library while shielding her blonde hair with her arms.

Once most of the students have evacuated the library, Marinette hides behind a shelf of books and opens up her bag to let Tikki out.

"An akumatized victim is clearly nearby," Marinette says. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming, Ladybug jumps onto the second floor's railway to see where Chloe is. She catches sight of Chloe being cornered by it, and Ladybug jumps off the rails and onto the over-sized hairdryer.

" _Hide_!" Ladybug tells Chloe, who obeys. The hairdryer follows Chloe, however, and Ladybug can't do anything but hold on tight so that she wouldn't fall off.

"I got wind that you were being blown away by a hairy situation."

Ladybug turns around to see Chat Noir standing on top of a book shelf with his signature cocky grin. His staff is in his hand, but all he's doing is standing by and watching her get dragged away by the enormous item.

"Less puns, more action," Ladybug says through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, yeah," Chat Noir says, extending his weapon. He hurls it over his head and strikes, narrowly missing the hairdryer.

" _Don't hit while I'm on it_?!" Ladybug screeches in horror.

She throws her yoyo, grinning when it locks onto a nearby pole successfully. The hairdryer spins around the pole and falls down to floor, unmoving. Ladybug quickly jumps off, and Chat Noir finishes the job by hitting it with his staff. The hairdryer disintegrates in a spark of blue, angering the akumatized victim standing on the second floor railway.

Chat Noir, having heard the victim's grunt of dismay, turns around and sees him, commenting, "Well, that guy looks pretty sketchy."

Realizing that he's been seen, the villain makes a run for it, but stops when Ladybug and Chat Noir jump onto the railway as well. The two superheroes charge at him, groaning in pain when a blue-ish wall suddenly appears in front them. This allows the victim to escape successfully, and Ladybug and Chat Noir scowl for failing to catch him.

"Great, now where did he go?" Ladybug asks.

"I don't know, but he sure has a way of illustrating his point," Chat Noir says.

Ladybug slaps her forehead.

* * *

"It seems this Evillustrator's targeting you specifically, Chloe. Any idea why?" Chat Noir asks, crossing his arms.

He and Ladybug are currently in Chloe Bourgeois' room in the Grand Hotel de Paris, asking the blonde questions in order to help them figure out why the Evillustator did what he did. Chloe doesn't appear to be taking this interrogation seriously, as she's currently on her phone doing who-knows-what.

"Absolutely not!" Chloe says, flicking her wrist. "Everyone _adores_ me."

"Yeah, because you're _so_ adorable," Ladybug says sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

" _Oh, my gosh_!" Chloe exclaims, followed by a high-pitched squeal. "Ladybug just said I'm _adorable_! I'm so glad you agree! I totally need a picture of the two of us together!" Chloe takes out her cellphone, and taps selfie mode and presses the button to take a picture. The flash makes Ladybug blink a couple of times before getting up from her seat on Chloe's couch and walking away.

"That was unpleasant," Ladybug mutters, purposely loud enough for Chloe to hear.

Chloe appears to not have heard her rude remark. She says, "Well, I look great, of course, but your smile is a bit off." Chloe throws an arm around Ladybug and holds her cellphone up once more. "I'll take another!"

Ladybug pushes Chloe's hand off and says, "Sorry, I'm a bit camera shy."

"That's no way to behave around one of your fans," Chat Noir snickers. Now Ladybug can know how it feels to have Chloe constantly hanging on her arm.

"Yeah? You can have her," Ladybug sneers. "Convert her to Team Chat Noir. Seriously, I won't stop you."

"I think I'll pass on this one," Chat Noir says, waving his hands.

Ladybug glares down at the floor, when her eyes catch sight of a familiar piece of paper on Chloe's coffee table. Her eyes widen when she realizes that it's a page from Nathanael's comic book. Super-Nathan is holding Marinette in his arms, but round glasses and a mustache are drawn on her.

" _Seriously_?!" Ladybug screams, putting the picture down. "That's it! I'm _leaving_!" Ladybug stomps over to the balcony, and Chat Noir trails behind her.

"What's got you so worked up?" Chat Noir asks in confusion. "You're usually so willing to help anyone and everyone. What makes Chloe so different?"

Ladybug throws her yoyo in the air, and when it latches onto something, she jumps onto the rails of the balcony. "She's not _anyone_ or _everyone_ , she's _no one_ ," Ladybug says bitterly. She then pulls on her yoyo string, and swings off from building to building, until she's no longer in sight.

"What's with her?" Chat Noir asks.

* * *

Ladybug swings all the way back home and de-transforms the second she lands in her room from the trapdoor leading to her balcony. She takes her pink shoulder-purse off and angrily throws it on her bed, eyes widening when she hears a little squeak resound from it.

Tikki flies out of her purse and flies to her eye level. "That hurt," the kwami frowns, rubbing her forehead with her little hands.

"Sorry, Tikki," Marinette apologizes sincerely.

"What you said about Chloe back there wasn't every nice, Marinette," Tikki scolds, arms akimbo. Marinette frowns guiltily. "You sounded just like Chloe herself."

" _Woah_ ," Marinette says. "I didn't sound _that_ mean, did I?" When Tikki nods at her, Marinette slumps onto her pink and white polka-dotted couch. "I'm sorry, Tikki. Chloe just makes me so… so _angry_. I just wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine. I just wanted her to see how it feels to be treated like nothing—and I knew it would've hurt her a lot because she loves Ladybug so much."

"I know how you feel, Marinette, but revenge is never the answer," Tikki says wisely. "Remember that."

Tikki suddenly lets out a gasp and flies into Marinette's purse, confusing the black-haired girl. "Tikki? What's—"

Marinette's a peculiar sound coming from behind her, and she turns around and gasps to see the Evillustrator erasing her window. He hops into her room once he's erased enough space for him to go through, and Marinette could only back up in fear.

"It's you! From the library!" Marinette exclaims. "What are you doing here?!"

"No, no! Please, don't be scared," the Evillustrator says. "I'm here because I just… wanted to see you."

"O-oh," Marinette says, his straight-forward answer making her face glowing pink. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you attack Chloe earlier?"

"Because Chloe is cruel and selfish!" the Evillustrator says, clenching his fists. "She had it coming. That's what she gets for treating everyone so terribly all the time."

"Can't argue with that," Marinette mumbles, looking away. She then looks back up at him, "Are you going to hurt… me?"

"You? No, o-of course not! You're _Marinette_!" he exclaims, looking down shyly with a faint blush on his cheeks. "You're beautiful and sweet and perfect and… I could never hurt you."

Marinette displays a look of shock. "Oh, th-thank you. That's really kind of you," Marinette says with a small smile.

"So, I just came by to ask you, if, uh," the Evillustrator stammers and scratches the back of his head. "Well, it's my birthday today, and, uh… would you come to my party?"

"Oh, actually, it's not really the best night," Marinette says, rubbing her arm. "I have a presentation to work on, and my teammate hasn't been contacting me, so I should probably go look for him or even start the project without him."

"I promise your teammate will work with you once all of this is over," he says, drawing a birthday invitation. He goes on one knee and presents it to her, and Marinette almost laughs because his action reminds her just so much of Chat Noir. "Oh please, Marinette! It'll just be you and me."

"Is that me?" Marinette asks in surprise, taking the invitation out of his hands. It's a little piece of paper, and on it is an animated version of herself, along with an animated version of the Evillustrator himself and a little birthday cake.

"D-do you like it?" he asks with a humble smile on his face.

Marinette takes a second look at the card, and sees the exclamation point logo. She briefly remembers seeing it on Nathaneal's ripped comic book page, and she grins at her lucky find. "I love it. You draw amazingly well," Marinette says sincerely. "Hm, alright. I'll come to your party. I'm sure my teammate would understand."

"Really?!" the Evillustrator says, eyes and smile bright.

Marinette nods. "But on one condition," she says, and the akumatized victim nods. "You can't hurt Chloe."

"For you and only you," the Evillustrator says. "Meet me in the love bank, next to Notre-Dame, at sunset!" He then draws a jetpack on his tablet, which appears on his back instantly. He flies out of the hole in her window, allowing Tikki to fly out of Marinette's purse.

"What are you thinking, Marinette?" Tikki asks. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I think I've figured out exactly _who_ the Evillustrator might be," Marinette says, looking down at the exclamation point logo on the birthday card once again. "It's Nathanael, and we're going to catch him."

"We?" Tikki asks, tilting her head to the side. "How can we defeat him if you've got a date with him as _Marinette_?"

"By _we_ , I mean me and _Chat Noir_ ," Marinette grins. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

When Marinette becomes Ladybug, she immediately calls Chat Noir on her compact. He answers it with a rude, "What." His tone is so flat and uninterested and impolite, it makes Ladybug's eye twitch, and she resists the urge to yell at him. "Chat Noir, you can leave Chloe now."

"Really?" Chat Noir asks.

"I need you to protect this girl instead. Her name is Marinette," Ladybug sends him a quick picture of herself as Marinette. "Really cute, isn't she? The Evillustrator is in love with her, and promised not to harm Chloe as long as Marinette comes to his birthday party."

Chat Noir is silent for a few seconds, until: "So, basically, they have a date tonight?"

"I guess you could call it that," Ladybug says, not noticing the slight tremor in his voice. "She lives at the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Think you can handle this mission?"

"Wait, are you giving this akuma to me for free?" Chat Noir asks. "What's the catch?"

"Nothing," Ladybug says. "I'm not available tonight. So, I inevitably have to pass this one onto you."

"Cool. An automatic tally mark," Chat Noir says, and she could _feel_ the grin in his voice. "Well, I'll see you on patrol tonight, I suppose. That Marinette needs a _real_ hero to protect her. Later, _My Lady_."

When Chat Noir hangs up, Ladybug lets her transformation go, and Tikki comes floating up to her. "You know, I forgot just how _rude_ he could be," Marinette sneers. "I gave him a free point, and he _still_ has to insult me."

A _thud_ suddenly resounds from the floor above her, and Marinette climbs up to the balcony to see what caused that loud noise. She's surprised to see Chat Noir already up there, and he's leaning on the rails flirtatiously.

"Hey there, Princess," he greets with a grin and a two-finger salute.

Marinette's face falls. "Princess?"

"Well, I don't know your name, so I thought I'd improvise," Chat Noir laughs. Actually, he does know her name, but he knows a lot better than that to say her name when she hasn't introduced herself yet. He would've sounded like a total creep.

Marinette finds herself staring at his smile—it's so kind and sincere, and he's never shown such a smile to Ladybug. If he's going to be nice to her (as Marinette), then she should cherish this moment.

"I see," Marinette laughs. "I'm Marinette. May I ask why you're here, Chat Noir?"

"Well, that birthday boy date of yours is bad news," Chat Noir says. "But don't worry. You'll be safe with me. I promise I'll keep you safe no matter what."

"Thank you," she smiles. "Um, if you don't mind me asking… Where's Ladybug?"

"Why should I care? We're not partners," Chat Noir snorts. His expression then softens, and he tells her, "But I'm willing to be partners with you tonight."

Marinette frowns for a split second, and it's too fast for Chat Noir to notice. He hates Ladybug so much to the point that he would even become partners with someone he met in the span of five minutes. She wants to ask him why he hates her so bad, but she's so scared of the answer, she stops herself before she could do so every time.

"I'm flattered," Marinette says with a fake smile. Inside, her heart is aching, but she can't let him know that. "I'm supposed to meet him at the love bank tonight at sunset. Be there by then."

"Got it," Chat Noir nods. "The akuma's probably in his drawing pencil, so try to get that away from him. I'll see you tonight, Princess."

Chat Noir jumps off her balcony and disappears beyond the streets of Paris, and Marinette could only watch as her temporary partner's figure disappears in the distance.

Marinette doesn't know exactly _how_ he's going to pull this off, but she does know _one_ thing…

She's excited to finally work with Chat Noir as a team.

* * *

When sky blue fades to a perfect blend of pink and purple and orange, Marinette starts walking in the direction of the Seine. She can see Chat Noir following her by jumping from roof to roof, and she breaks out into a wide grin when the thought of partnering up with him enters his mind.

She makes it to the love bank by the time the sun is fully set, and she sees the Evillustrator sitting on top of a boat's roof.

"Happy birthday," she says loud enough for him to hear.

He turns around to face her and his eyes evidently lights up. "Marinette!" The Evillustrator hops off the roof of the boat and lands flawlessly in front of her. "You came!"

"Of course I came," Marinette smiles as she looks into his eyes. They're mesmerizing—they're a mix of sky blue and sea green. She never noticed just how _beautiful_ Nathanael's eyes are. She doesn't why he hides behind his hair as his normal civilian self.

"Thank you so much for accepting my invitation. It really means a lot," the Evillustrator tells her. He gestures for her to go first, to which Marinette obliges. They walk along the boat's walkway, and she marvels at the beautiful decorations.

"It looks amazing," Marinette comments absent-mindedly.

"You like it?" the Evillustrator asks with a wide grin. "Well, hold on, because I'm just getting started!" He jumps back onto the roof of the boat and tries to draw something, but dark clouds drift in the night sky and block the shining moon. The akumatized victim screams out to the skies above, "Come on, you've got be kidding me!"

His eyes widen, and he looks down to see a confused Marinette. She's never seen him so angry before. Nathanael has always been the kind and quiet type.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he says, leaning down get light from one of the boat's lamps. "I can't draw properly in the dark."

Marinette makes an important mental note of that.

The Evillustrator draws a bright, full moon and places it just above the boat so that there would be light wherever he went. He then leads her to the front of a boat, where a bench is placed for them to sit on. Marinette takes a seat next to him, and the boat leaves as the Evillustrator plays music for them by drawing musical notes on his tablet.

While he's distracted by drawing, Marinette sees Chat Noir jump onto the boat from the corner of her eye. In order to block out any noise Chat Noir might accidentally make, Marinette decides to strike up a conversation.

"Um, can I ask you something?" Marinette asks, and the Evillustrator nods. "You're really talented in art, you know. I just don't understand why you want to use your power to hurt people."

"Not all people. Just Chloe," he scowls. "She embarrasses everyone and treats everyone the way no one should ever be treated. I just wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine."

Marinette's eyes widen at the familiar words, and her thoughts go directly to her conversation with Tikki earlier. She places an arm over the bench, making a _Stop_ gesture with her hand to let Chat Noir know not to attack.

She feels bad admitting that she's never paid attention to Nathanael before. She knows he sits in the back in every class, and that they've been classmates for four consecutive years. But all she's known him as is the humble artist sitting in the back.

But somewhere along the way, he developed a crush on her, and she thinks that maybe they're more alike than she thought.

They both draw, and they both like someone who doesn't like them back.

She suddenly doesn't want to go through with the plan.

Marinette looks down. "I'm sorry you got akumatized on your birthday…" she says quietly.

The Evillustrator stops drawing and turns to her. "No! It's all right!" he says. "If I hadn't been, then… I never would have gotten the courage to actually talk to you." He gives her a small smile and places a hand on hers, making her look up at him. "Thank you for being so kind to me even though we've hardly ever talked."

"Treat others how you want to be treated, right?" Marinette says with a smile. "About Chloe… Don't hurt her. I don't like her either, but revenge is never the answer. Remember that."

Just as the Evillustrator is about to say something, an extended silver staff cuts in between them. They both look up to see Chat Noir standing on the roof of the boat, holding onto his weapon with an iron grip and a sour look on his face.

"Sorry to cut your date short, but she promised a date with me tonight too," Chat Noir says bitterly.

"Chat Noir, what are you doing?!" Marinette screams, but she stops when she sees the heartbroken look on the Evillustrator's face. "This isn't what it looks like, I _promise_."

"You're working with him…?" the akumatized victim falters, and then looks down sadly. "I'm so stupid to think you actually wanted to get to know me," he says, pain dripping in his voice. "What happened to _treat others how you want to be treated_? You're just like _Chloe_."

Marinette freezes at his words. Tikki said the same thing to her earlier. How many times is she going to keep being compared to Chloe? She wasn't _that_ cruel, was she?

She doesn't say another word, and when she sees Chat Noir's staff shrink, she knows he's going straight to action.

The Evillustrator jumps on top of the moon he drew earlier, dodging Chat Noir's attack just in time. The black cat jumps, ready to strike it, when the victim draws a box and makes it fall over him. The box ends up trapping Marinette and Chat Noir, and he watches as they struggle helplessly to lift it up.

The Evillustrator lands next to the box and tells them, "Whether revenge is the answer or not, I'm taking back my promise. Chloe's going to get a little lesson she'll never forget!" He jumps onto the bridge and runs off into the night, leaving Marinette and Chat Noir behind to sink to the bottom of the seine with the boat.

Marinette pounds on the walls of the box with her formidable fists. "Chat Noir, why did you have to go and do _that_?!" she screams.

"You weren't sticking to the mission," he says, hitting the walls with his staff with a little more force.

"I _was_ , but I was doing it _without_ violence or lies!" Marinette responds sadly, her hand sliding down the wall of the box. "I feel so bad for Nathanael…"

Chat Noir feels jealousy rise up in his chest at her concern for the redhead. She's never this nice to Adrien, nor does she ever express any worry for him. But he brushes this feeling off because Marinette doesn't know he's really Adrien. She can't know. She'd be disappointed.

"Princess, hop on. Piggyback," Chat Noir says, pointing at his back. "I've got an idea."

Marinette obliges, and climbs onto his back. Chat Noir places his staff upwards and extends it, successfully lifting up the box. They manage to escape before the boat could sink any further, landing on the bridge above them.

"Good thinking," Marinette says, attempting to get down. Chat Noir isn't letting her, however, making her say, "Um, you can put me down now."

"We've got a date, remember?" Chat Noir smiles. "I can't keep my sights off of you, otherwise you might get hurt. You're helping me catch this guy and capture his akuma. We're partners for tonight, remember?"

At this, Marinette nods and holds on tighter when Chat Noir leaps from roof to roof to get to the Grand Hotel de Paris.

* * *

Chat Noir and Marinette arrive just in time to see Chloe being chased by a high heel five times her size. The superhero puts Marinette down before striking the stiletto heel with his staff, breaking it and making it dissolve in a spark of blue.

"Broke your heel," Chat Noir sniggers. "Better watch your ankles."

"In the comics, this is what's known as the final showdown," the Evillustrator says. "But you guys are protecting the wrong person! Chloe's the _real_ villain here!"

"Me, a villain?" Chloe asks, placing a hand on her chest. "Everybody _adores_ me!"

The Evillustrator turns back to his tablet and draws three over-sized boxing gloves. He fires them at each person in the room, sending one that's slightly smaller at Marinette. The black-haired girl gets picked up bridal-style by Chat Noir, and he leaps out of the way, dodging the two boxing gloves thrown in their way. He throws his staff in Chloe's direction, disintegrating the glove before it could hit Chloe in the face.

The akumatized victim then draws an enormous buzzsaw and sends it flying at Chloe, but Chat Noir manages to throw his staff right in the hole in the middle, thus preventing it from slicing Chloe's head off.

Chat Noir splits his staff in half and throws them at the Evillustrator to try to knock his tablet off of his arm, but the villain dodges them, making one staff hit the wall and the other smash one of the lamps on the wall. The Evillustrator reacts to this by moving to another lit-up lamp to draw.

"The light!" Marinette exclaims. "Chat Noir, he can't draw on the dark!"

Chat Noir's ears perk up. "I've got an idea," he says, and he whispers something in her ear. Marinette nods and goes straight to action, running towards the light switch to turn off the lights. The Evillsutrator, however, erases it before she could flick it off.

"You're not winning this one, Marinette!" the Evillsutrator says.

Marinette smriks. "I'm not, but _he_ is!" she exclaims, pointing forward. The Evillustrator's eyes widen when he sees Chat Noir thrown his two staffs in opposite directions, smashing every wall lamp in their way. He was distracted by Marinette, and failed to see Chat Noir sneak up behind him to retrieve his weapon.

"That's not fair!" the Evillustrator cries, when his drawing pencil is suddenly knocked out of his hand. " _No_!" Chat Noir catches the item in mid-air and snaps it in two, releasing a black butterfly.

Chat Noir takes his staffs and snaps them back into one whole, and a shining green ball of energy forms at its tip. He catches the black butterfly in the same fashion as catching one with a butterfly net, trapping the butterfly inside the bubble. A burst of light shines from it, and when he releases the black butterfly, a white butterfly flies out of it instead.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir screams as he hits the floor with the end of his staff. Magic dust flies all around them and does its job of fixing everything that's been broken during the attack (but sadly, it can't fix a broken heart).

The Evillustrator turns back into Nathanael, who asks aloud, "What am I doing here?" He tries getting up on his feet, but to no avail, the drumming in his head preventing him from performing said action properly.

"You want me to leave you two alone to fix things up?" Chat Noir asks.

Marinette shakes her head. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. I think it's best to leave him alone for now."

* * *

The next morning in Mme Bustier's class, Nathanael flips through his sketchbook melancholically, frowning at the events of his birthday. Not only was he called out by his Science teacher, embarrassed by Chloe, and akumatized by Hawkmoth, but Marinette now knew that he liked her and she must think that he's a creep for drawing her in his comic without her permission. It's going to be so awkward to work on the project together, considering they're on the same team…

He sighs.

It was the worst birthday so far.

"Hi, Nathanael."

Nathanael turns in the direction the voice came from, and his face grows warm at the sight of Marinette smiling down at him. The last thing he expected was seeing a smile on her face after what he did to her.

"M-Marinette…!" Nathanael says in surprise. This familiar name makes Adrien turn his head around curiously, and he subtly watches them from his place at the front of the class.

Marinette takes a seat next to the redhead. "Happy belated birthday," she says.

Nathanael looks up at her in surprise. "You're not… mad?" he asks quietly.

She blinks. "Why would I be mad?"

"If the sources are true, I almost hurt you while I was akumatized…" Nathanael falters, looking down at his sketchbook.

Marinette places a comforting hand on his shoulder, making him turn to her and blush a deep scarlet. "I'm not mad, Nathanael. You were akumatized, so you couldn't control your actions. _I_ should be the one apologizing…" She remembers the heartbroken look on the Evillustrator's face after realizing that she betrayed him, and she looks down guiltily.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Nathanael says.

She looks back up at him and smiles sadly. "I'm just really sorry your birthday didn't go as well as you'd hoped. If it makes you feel any better, I got you a gift."

"No! Y-you shouldn't have," Nathanael says, waving his hands in front of him. "I'm just thankful you're not angry with me. That's enough for me."

"It's all right, really," she giggles. "I get all my classmates a gift, I just couldn't leave you out." She takes a black expensive-looking sketchbook out of her schoolbag and presents it to him. Nathanael accepts it graciously, and looks down at it as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

"Well, class is starting soon, so I'm going to head back to my seat," Marinette says, getting up. "Happy birthday again, Nathanael."

"Thank you, Marinette," Nathanael says, smiling back at her. He watches her walk back to her seat and when she's seated, he looks down at his new sketchbook.

He smiles.

Scratch that—it was the best birthday so far.

* * *

"What's she acting so nice to him for?" Adrien grumbles in his place. After witnessing the interaction between Nathanael and Marinette behind him, and he turns back around with a sour look on his face at the end of their conversation. He huffs, "She's never that nice to me."

Nino smirks, taking his place next to Adrien. "Looks like someone's jealous," he says in a sing-song voice.

"Jealous? Don't make me laugh," Adrien scoffs. He rests his elbow on the desk and places a hand on his cheek, glaring a hole through the blackboard in front of him. Nino shoots a knowing look at Alya, who brings a hand to her mouth and laughs into her palm.

"What's so funny?" Marinette asks, taking her usual seat next to Alya.

"It's—" Alya begins.

"Clearly none of your business," Adrien spits, cutting Alya off. He turns his head slightly to the left to glare at her with one eye.

Marinette's face flushes. "I wasn't asking you!"

Adrien turns his entire body around, shouting back, "No need to shout!"

"You're shouting now!"

"Because _you_ 're shouting!"

Nino and Alya sigh at the bickering couple and look at each other with a tired smile on their faces. They never seem to run out of energy when it comes to arguing.

"This whole Evillustrator episode just brought them closer," Alya says, taking a quick glance at the still-smiling Nathanael behind her.

"Or you could say…" Nino pushes his glasses up and grins, "He _drew_ them closer."

Alya smacks him in the back of his head, and she and Nino start arguing as well. The two pairs continue to argue even when Mme Bustier enters the classroom, and the teacher could only sigh in exasperation at her students.

It's way too early for this.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** The ending between Nathanael and Marinette is inspired by **Le Dessinateur Fan Ending _by_ Kelly Kao**. I like it so much better than the actual ending in the show…

I took the Sabrina subplot out because _no_. Instead of the episode being centered around Nathanael, it was centered around Sabrina and Chloe?! And Marinette didn't even talk to Nathanael after he was de-akumatized?! I was so disappointed. ;-; (Because I love Nathanael okay he's so precious). (And I kind of ship Nathanette).

We got a bit of Jealous!Adrien/Jealous!Chat in this chapter, as well as a good dose of MariChat! Since Marinette finally admitted her crush on Chat Noir last chapter, and Adrien (though he refuses to admit it) has one on Marinette, it's a bit refreshing seeing them so kind towards each other, isn't it? It's nice having them like each other for their actual selves instead of their flawless counter-parts. ;w;

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and kind reviews! Shout-out to the wonderful **Alexa10110** for being the 100th reviewer!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 6  
Chat Noir: 5**

 _Next Episode: Rogercop_


	11. Rogercop: Under Agreste

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 11_

Rogercop: Under Agreste

" _You've reached the voicemail of Gabriel Agreste's office. Please leave a message."_

Adrien sighs when he hears the same voicemail after his tenth attempt to call his father. It's Career Day at school, and he's the only one in his class whose parent didn't show up.

He frowns and says into his cellphone, "Hi, Father. It's me. It's Parent's Career Day at school, remember? I know you're busy, but I was still hoping that… you were going to show up. Call me back." He hangs up, and his kwami floats at his eye-level.

"You okay?" Plagg asks. Adrien checks if his father sent him any messages, and when he found none, he shoves his cellphone back into his pocket.

"Yeah," Adrien says, looking down. "Nothing new. I knew he wasn't going to show up."

Plagg flies back into Adrien's breast pocket, and the blond opens the door to the classroom when he hears the sound of clapping. He takes his usual seat next to Nino, who pats his back and gives him a look of apology.

"Marinette will come around and pass out some croissants baked fresh this morning," Tom Dupain says as Marinette makes her way towards her classmates with a tray filled with fresh bread.

"Thank you, Mr. Dupain," Mme Bustier says. "Now, let's meet Alya's mom, who is head chef at the Grand Paris hotel, owned by our mayor, Mr. Bourgeois."

While Alya and her mother make their way to the front of the classroom, Adrien doesn't even look up. His eyes remain glued to the desk in front of him, and his frown just deepens with each passing second. He should be used to this by now—his father has disappointed him in several occasions already. He was just hoping he would change.

A fresh croissant is suddenly placed in front of him, and he looks up to see Marinette holding a tray full of them with one hand, and a tong in the other.

"Jerks are better when they're smiling," Marinette says. Adrien chuckles and thanks her after taking a big bite out of his free snack.

"Thanks, klutz," he says, giving her a thumbs up.

Marinette rolls her eyes at the name, but no one can miss the smile on her face. She turns around after giving one to Nino, and watches as Sabrina gapes at the bracelet sitting in a brown circular case Chloe handed to her.

"It's beautiful!" the redhead exclaims as she picks it up to inspect it further. The bracelet is gold with sapphire jewels sprinkled around it. It shimmered under the sunlight, and it probably cost a fortune. But this is Chloe Bourgeois, and she gets _anything_ she wants with a snap of her fingers.

" _No_!" Chloe exclaims, snatching the bracelet out of her friend-who-is-more-like-a-servant's hands. "You can look, but you cannot touch. Got it?" Sabrina nods her head vigorously.

"Put it away, Chloe!" Mayor Bourgeois tells his daughter in alarm. "It could get in the wrong hands!"

Chloe nods and places the bracelet back in its case. Marinette places a croissant on the table for Sabrina, and just as she's about to give one to Chloe, the blonde sneers, "I wonder how many croissants your dad would have to sell to buy you one of these? What am I saying? He'd have to sell the whole store!"

Marinette scowls. "Well, if you're _so_ rich, obviously you don't need free croissants."

Chloe snorts when the black-haired girl walks away to give her other classmates croissants. "Ugh, she must be jealous," Marinette hears her say. But she knows not to start anything in the middle of a presentation. Unlike Chloe, she wasn't raised in the freaking jungle.

After passing out a croissant to each one of her classmates, Marinette starts walking down to stairs to hand the tray back to her father, when Chloe's bad suddenly falls over, causing her to trip over the blonde's things.

"Geez, is there a day when you're _not_ tripping over something?" Chloe asks with attitude. Marinette grumbles incoherent (and inappropriate) sentences while she picks up the fallen food.

"Next on the list is Sabrina's father, a policeman. Officer Roger!" Mme Bustier presents as the policeman and his daughter walk up to the front of the classroom.

"I've been a police officer for fifteen years, and I firmly believe that every citizen is innocent until proven guilty," Officer Roger says proudly.

"My bracelet! It's _gone_!" Chloe suddenly screams, holding an empty circular case in her hands. "I had it a second ago!" The blonde then turns to Marinette, who just finished picking up the croissants off the floor, and points an accusing finger at her. "You! _You_ stole it!"

"What? What are you talking about?!" Marinette screams back, wanting so hard to hit her over the head with the silver tray in her hands.

"You purposely tripped on my bag so you could steal my bracelet!" Chloe accuses, crossing her arms. She then turns to Lieutenant Roger and orders, "You're a policeman! Arrest _her_!"

"My daughter is _not_ a thief!" Tom defends, his anger beginning to rise. Now he understands why Marinette always talks about how much she can't _stand_ the mayor's spoiled daughter.

Officer Roger blows his whistle. "Hold on a minute, Miss Bourgeois, we do not accuse without proof!" he says calmly. "Now, everyone, calm down, please. Maybe you simply misplaced your bracelet."

Chloe gasps over-exaggeratedly. "Are you calling me a liar?! _Daddy_!"

"Roger, I demand you search this girl!" Mayor Bourgeois orders, and points a finger at Marinette. When the policeman doesn't do as he's told the mayor continues, "Need I remind you that as mayor of this city, I am your _superior_!"

"But sir, it's against the law! I can't just go—" Officer Roger begins, but is unfortunately cut off.

"Failure to follow orders, I see," Mayor Bourgeois says. "Then you're no longer a police officer!" Everyone gasps at the mayor's unreasonable decision, but no one does anything for now in fear of making the situation any worse.

"Mayor, you can't be serious!" Lieutenant Roger says, shaking his head. "Over a missing bracelet?"

"This is my daughter's bracelet we're talking about!" the mayor says, and Chloe sends him a snobbish smile. "You're incompetent and you're fired! _Get out_!"

After Officer Roger leaves the classroom, Tom can't take it anymore. His anger has reached a boiling point and he can't stay quiet any longer, especially since his daughter was accused for something he _knows_ she'd never do.

When Mayor Bourgeois begins walking towards Marinette to search her bag himself, Tom steps in front of him and shouts, "You're not getting anywhere near my daughter _or_ her bag!"

"Do you know who I am?!" the mayor screams.

"I don't care about your status!" Tom thunders. "Any person who accuses someone without proof is not someone worth _respecting_!"

"How _dare_ —"

"Please, gentlemen!" Mme Bustier interrupts before it could get any worse. "This is a school here! Think of the children! Surely the bracelet is around here someplace."

"It probably just rolled out of her bag or something!" Marinette tries to reason. She then turns to see Nino filming the scene with his phone, and her face lights up. "Hey! Nino's been filming everything this whole time! We can see what really happened!"

The entire class all walk up to the front and huddle up to watch the video on Nino's cellphone. He fast forwards and pauses the moment the bracelet comes into view—and it's in Sabrina's hand.

"Well, there you have it! Sabrina was holding Chloe's bracelet!" Marinette points at the screen. Everyone turns to the redhead, who cowers in fear.

"Yes! But I gave it back straight after!" Sabrina says, waving her hands. "I swear!"

"Chloe, why don't you take a look in your BFF's bag?" Marinette snickers.

Sabrina gasps, offended. "Are you saying I'm a thief?!" she screeches.

"Nope! _Chloe's_ the one calling people thieves without any proof," Marinette says, glaring at the blonde. "I'm simply going from what's on the video."

Sabrina growls, and turns her back on Marinette, knocking Nathanael's sketchbook out of his hands in the process. Marinette smiles upon realizing that it's the sketchbook she got him for his birthday.

While picking up his fallen papers, he leaves one behind—and it just so happens to be a sketch of Chloe's bracelet. Everyone gasps as Nathanael quickly picks it up.

"Yes, I did sketch the bracelet, but I didn't do anything else!" he says almost desperately.

Mayor Bourgeois walks over to Nino and slams a hand on his desk. "Give me the tape! I'll have it analyzed professionally!" he demands.

Nino pulls his cellphone closer to him and says, "No way! It's my camera!"

"Who do you think you're dealing with? I am the mayor of this city! Where's the school principal? I want to see the principal!"

While the mayor continues to yell about thievery and punishment for said crime, Adrien feels something bump into his foot. He looks down, and his eyes widen when he sees Plagg _stuck in the very bracelet they're all looking for_. Adrien takes his kwami and quietly sneaks out of the classroom while the mayor yells at Mme Bustier.

Once outside, Adrien lets Plagg go, who floats up. "…I can explain," the black cat says.

"Oh, yeah? Just _try_ ," Adrien says, crossing his arms. "You realize we have a big problem, don't you?"

"I may have… thought it was Camembert," Plagg smiles sheepishly. "My bad."

"Are you kidding me?!" Adrien screams, then clasps a hand over his mouth after realizing how loud he is. He then continues, "How?!"

"The case was similar to Camembert cheese packaging?" Plagg laughs nervously, and it sounds more like a question than an explanation.

Adrien is about to say something, when the sound of heavy footsteps echo throughout the hall. He looks over to rails to see a bulky guy in a blue suit of armor making his way into the school.

"Hey! You can't just walk in here!" the school's security guard screams.

"I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. I am the law," the intruder says in a robotic voice. "You are guilty of obstructing the path of justice!" He fires cuffs at the guard, who gasps in shock. "I sentence you to move around!" With a blow of his whistle, the guard does as he's told, making Adrien gape at the scene.

Seeing this, Adrien punches the air and begins, "PLAGG! TRANSFOR—"

"You're not going to want to do that," Plagg says. "If you transform, the bracelet will get absorbed with me and damage your powers!"

" _Argh_ , I hope you're happy with this, Plagg," Adrien groans as he runs off to try to find a way to get the bracelet off of his kwami. He needs to transform into Chat Noir _now_.

* * *

"See, Chloe?" Marinette says, crossing her arms. "I tripped on the bag, but Sabrina held the bracelet, Nathanael sketched it, we are _all_ suspects!"

"B-but I didn't swipe her bracelet!" Nathanael defends, clutching his sketchbook tighter.

"I believe you, Nathanael. And I didn't steal the bracelet either," Marinette says, placing a hand on her chest. "But when it comes down to it, Chloe can accuse anyone _and_ everyone!"

"Fine! Since you're a suspect, you'll have no problem letting me search your bag!" Chloe says, arms akimbo. "It's only fair!"

"Only as long as you also search everyone else's too!" Marinette screams. "It wouldn't be fair to me if you only searched me!"

"No one's searching my bag!" Nathanael says, recalling all the drawings in his sketchbook. His classmates already know about his crush on Marinette, he'd _hate_ for them to see that he has more sketches of him and her in his sketchpads.

"I'll do just that!" Chloe exclaims. "I'll search _everyone_ 's bags. Except for Adrikins', of course."

Marinette scowls. "Why is _Adrien_ any different? He's just as guilty as the rest of us! In fact, he's not even here—maybe he's already running off with it."

Chloe's mouth falls open. "Excuse me? Are you calling _my_ Adrikins a _thief_?!"

"Marinette, let the adults handle this," Tom tells his daughter.

"Papa, she called _me_ a thief!" Marinette says, glaring at Chloe. "I'm just defending myself!"

"You're also accusing all of your friends like Chloe's doing to you!" Tom scolds, making Marinette frown after realizing that he's right.

The door suddenly slams open, and a man in blue armor asks in a robotic voice, "Where is the mayor?"

"Dad?!" Sabrina gasps, placing two hands over her mouth.

"I am Rogercop," the armored man says.

"May I help you?" Mme Bustier asks in slight fear.

"Where is the mayor?" Rogercop repeats.

"I believe he already left, Sir," the teacher answers calmly. "I'm afraid none of us know where he is at the moment."

"One of you must know where he is. If no one speaks up, I'll put you all under arrest!" He then turns to Chloe and asks, "Where is your father?"

She crosses her arms and answers, "I don't know!"

As if on cue, Mayor Bourgeois' shouts from the principal's office echo throughout the hall, making the akumatized victim walk out of the classroom and towards it. While everyone freaks out, Marinette quietly tiptoes out of the classroom to transform.

After finding a good hiding spot, Marinette opens her purse to let Tikki out. "Oh, Tikki. I was only trying to defend myself!" Marinette sighs. "My dad's right. I ended up accusing everyone in the process."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to make it right," Tikki says encouragingly. "I don't think anyone stole it."

"Me neither," Marinette says truthfully. "We'll solve this whole thing later, but for now, it's time to save the day. TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming, Ladybug runs to the principal's office in time to see Rogercop at the door. "Justice doesn't need a limitation. Mayor, you're under arrest for abuse of power," he says monotonously.

Before Rogercop can put handcuffs on Principal Damocles or Mayor Bourgeois, Ladybug throws her yoyo at the akumatized victim, stopping him from shooting the cuffs at his targets.

"Ladybug," Rogercop begins. "Paris has a new righter of wrong. Your services are no longer required."

"I can't let you go around accusing everyone of any little wrongdoing!" she says, jumping out of the way just in time to dodge a laser shot in her direction. She jumps to the first floor and runs out of sight to catch her breath.

Seconds later, Rogercop walks out of the school building, and walks right past her. Ladybug launches her yoyo at him, and successfully wraps it around his arm, but the villain is too focused on getting his revenge on Mayor Bourgeois that he doesn't even notice. Ladybug falls to the ground at his immeasurable strength, but sighs in relief when she sees Chat Noir standing atop the roof of a building.

Before Rogercop could shoot the mayor, Chat Noir jumps on top of his lasers and then jumps off, making the victim miss. This grants the mayor enough time to flee the scene by zooming away in his car.

"You are disturbing justice, Chat Noir. You are going to pay for this," Rogercop says, ready to charge at him.

"You can add bodily harm to the charges," Chat Noir smirks, dodging the lasers shot at him. He tries fighting Rogercop off with the best of his abilities, but unfortunately, the cop's armor makes it almost impossible to hurt him. After managing to grab hold of Chat Noir, Rogercop flings him in the air, making him fall right next to a garbage can.

"Did anyone ever tell you not to litter?" Ladybug asks the akumatized victim, smirking when she sees the scowl on Chat Noir's face.

"You do realize you basically called me trash," Chat Noir says with a glare. Ladybug giggles—it's nice getting him annoyed every once in a while.

"I'm glad you got it," Ladybug grins. She then turns to Rogercop and a serious look replaces her playful one. "Rogercop, you're Sabrina's dad, and a good policeman! Don't let the evil person who gave you there powers make an evil cop out of you!"

"Justice must prevail in the streets of Paris," Rogercop says, and shoots his lasers at her. Ladybug tries to fight him off, but she's instead grabbed by the ankle and thrown back into the school's court. Only her screams could be heard, and they're interrupted by the sound of crashing.

"Mr. Rogercop!" says a shrill voice. Chloe walks out of the school and stomps down the stairs, stopping right in front of him. "I've got a serious problem! My hair is _terrible_!"

"Come with me and we'll talk about it," Rogercop says, opening the door of his police car for her. Chloe gets inside without hesitation, and Chat Noir could only slap his forehead when the car drives off.

"Oh, for the love of—" Chat Noir jumps to his feet and holds onto the car as it flies off. Ladybug runs out of the school to see the car flying off, and she flings her yoyo at it, swinging onto the flying vehicle.

"Missed me?" Ladybug asks, holding on tightly when she positions herself next to her rival.

"Of course, _My Lady_ ," Chat Noir says in a mocking tone.

The flying car suddenly starts spinning to try to shake the two superheroes off, but to no avail. He then abruptly hits the brakes, making Chat Noir fly off, but Ladybug catches him at the last second with her yoyo. She reels him back onto the car and gives him a look, awaiting her little "thank you".

"I could've managed on my own, you know," Chat Noir grumbles. She should've expected this instead—this _is_ Chat Noir after all.

"I know," Ladybug smiles. Her smile fades when Rogercop climbs onto the roof of the car, initiating battle. The two superheroes try to fight off the villain with the best of their abilities, but he's too powerful. Rogercop suddenly pounds the edge of the car, making it spin round and round. Chat Noir and Ladybug run in place as if they were running on a log on water, trying their best not to fall off.

Rogercop manages to knock Ladybug off the car, and she throws her yoyo at Chat Noir, yelling, "Grab onto me!"

Chat Noir misses the yoyo, and could only watch in horror as Ladybug falls from a height of over one hundred feet. They may be rivals, but he and Ladybug have been through many missions together, helping each other out when the time calls for it. He's always mean to me, but she never fails to give him a smile. He always says no, but she never stops asking him if he wants to be partners with her.

"What have you _done_?" Chat Noir says darkly. Rogercop picks him up and holds him by the arm, ready to take his Miraculous off. He fails to see Chat Noir take his staff and jam it into the exhaust pipe with his legs. This causes a small explosion, making the hero's staff shoot out of the pipe and causing the flying car to shake. This surprises Rogercop, who accidentally lets go of Chat Noir.

Chat Noir is falling through the air, and swims towards his weapon. He indeed manages to get reach his staff, but he has no plan thereafter. His closes his eyes, ready to get smashed into pieces on the pavement, when he feels something wrap around his legs.

"Called it," Chat Noir says as he's being pulled up by no other than Ladybug. "I knew My Lady was going to come to the rescue."

Ladybug lets go of her yoyo, making Chat Noir fall to the ground with a scowl. "You're welcome," she says, offering her hand. "You owe me one."

Chat Noir brushes her hand off, and gets up on his own. "Yeah, _okay_ ," he says. The two rivals jump onto the first iron pillar of the Eiffel Tower in order to get a better view of where Rogercop is headed.

Rogercop's police car suddenly makes a stop and heads in the other direction, and Chat Noir and Ladybug both watch it go. "There's no point running after him anyway. He's way out of our reach now," Ladybug groans.

"Well, if it's the mayor he wants," Chat Noir says, crossing his arms. "Then my guess is he's headed straight for the City Hall."

"There's no use attacking in broad daylight," Ladybug says, noting the hoard of policemen standing in front of the building. "I say we wait it out."

* * *

When night falls, Chat Noir and Ladybug manage to blend in well with the darkness and sneak past the police guards in front of the City Hall. A black cat makes noise in a nearby alley, tricking the officers into thinking the pointy-eared feline's shadow was Chat Noir.

"Hm, your luck must be spreading," Chat Noir tells Ladybug while they tiptoe into the room Rogercop is in. They quietly open the door to find Chloe and the Mayor sitting on chair with red and blue handcuffs.

Chloe notices the superheroes walk in and cheers, "Go Ladybug and Chat Noir!" This makes Rogercop turn around, and both heroes slap their foreheads at Chloe's idiocy.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, inside for justice you fail," Rogercop says, shooting lasers at them. The two heroes jump out of the way to prevent getting handcuffed.

"You got justice and revenge all mixed up, Rogercop," Ladybug says.

Rogercop blows his whistle. "Get Ladybug and Chat Noir," he orders Chloe and the mayor to do. Both handcuffed victims do as their told, but they're no match for Paris' greatest heroes. After a quick apology, Chat Noir and Ladybug throw them out of the room and close the door after doing so.

Rogercop continues to shoot at them blindly before Chat Noir and Ladybug dodge roll behind the large wooden table in the corner of the room.

"The akuma must be in his whistle," Ladybug says. Rogercop jumps on top of the table they're hiding under and continues to shoot like a mad man. Chat Noir and Ladybug barely escape, and luckily manage to find another hiding spot.

"Alright, let's make this a real challenge," Chat Noir says, cracking knuckles. "If my plan doesn't stop this, then you can go on and solve the whole thing yourself. We aren't a team, so it shouldn't matter to you whether my plan fails or not. See you." He says, giving her a two-finger salute.

"Wait, Chat, what are you doing?!" Ladybug screams when Chat Noir activates Cataclysm. "What are you planning on doing with that? If you hit the floor, the whole's building's going to crumble!"

"I know my powers more than you, My Lady," Chat Noir says, sticking his tongue out at her childishly. "Trust me—I know what I'm doing."

Chat Noir walks out in plain view and starts running towards Rogercop. When the akumatized victim shoots in his direction, Chat Noir ducks at the last second and slides right under him while touching the floor with his cataclysmic hand. Rogercop unexpectedly falls to the floor, and he landed on his arm as an attempt to break his fall. He ended up crushing his laser with his armor, rendering it useless.

He begins shooting with his other arm, causing Chat Noir to run back to the hiding place. "Okay, well I got half of my plan to work," he says.

Ladybug peaks out of her hiding spot to see a yellow oven mitts sitting on top of the mayor's desk for some inexplicable reason.

"I've got an idea," Ladybug says, running out of her hiding spot. She flips onto the table, dodging the lasers and successfully grabbing the oven mitt off the desk. She runs towards Rogercop and throws the mitt over his hand, stopping him from shooting anymore lasers.

She's about to reach for the whistle tied around his neck, when it's suddenly ripped off and crushed against the wall next to her with a familiar silver staff. She scowls in the direction the staff is pointing to, to see Chat Noir grinning at her.

"Slow and steady _doesn't_ win the race," Chat Noir winks, capturing the black butterfly with the glowing tip of his staff. A white butterfly flutters out of it, and magic dust fills the air after he pounds the floor with his weapon, screaming, "MIRACULOUS CHAT!"

"That wasn't fair," Ladybug scowls, approaching him.

"Actually, what _wouldn't_ be fair is if you caught the akuma when I did most of the work," Chat Noir says, and Ladybug doesn't say anything right after because he's right. His ring beeps, signaling the near-end of his transformation. "I should head back before I de-transform. Let them know _I_ was the one who saved the day!"

With that, Chat Noir bows down to Ladybug sarcastically. He flees the scene, but not before tossing a familiar bracelet into a white purse.

* * *

"I think this belongs to you, Miss," Officer Roger says, handing Chloe her white bag.

"My bag!" Chloe exclaims, grabbing it. She opens it up to check if all her things are in there, and her eyes widen when she sees her formerly lost bracelet inside. "My bracelet! But… but _how_?!" Chloe asks in shock, taking her bracelet out and putting it on her wrist.

"Roger, you found the bracelet?" Mayor Bourgeois asks.

"Actually it turns out it was in Chloe's bag all along," Lieutenant Roger says. "It must've fallen into a side pocket when that girl tripped over it."

"Well, Roger, I do apologize for being so accusatory and firing you for no good reason," the mayor apologizes. "Please forgive me for being so unreasonable."

"I think Officer Roger has proven his excellence to you, Mr. Mayor," Ladybug says, smiling up at the police officer. "You'd be wrong not to keep him as a policeman."

"Of course, of course!" Mayor Bourgeois says. "Welcome back, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'm proud to be back, and I vow to uphold my firm belief that every citizen is innocent until proven guilty," Lieutenant Roger says, saluting the mayor. "Thank you, Sir!"

* * *

The next day at school, Marinette takes her usual seat after entering class. Adrien swivels around the second she sits down and glares at her.

"So," he begins. Nino and Alya give each other a tired look. Here comes the arguments, and at eight thirty in the freaking morning. "Sources say you accused me of stealing Chloe's bracelet yesterday."

"You were nowhere to be found, so I just _assumed_ —" Marinette tries to explain, but Adrien cuts her off with a scoff.

"Your hatred towards me doesn't give you the right to accuse me of thievery, you know," Adrien says, the word _hate_ making his stomach stop.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Marinette frowns. "I didn't mean to accuse you. Chloe was blaming me for everything, so I got annoyed and blamed everyone else. I'm as guilty as her, I'm sorry."

"You should be held under arrest for false accusations against me," Adrien says. His angry expression suddenly softens and he's stifling his laughter when he continues, "Or should I say… under _Agreste_."

Marinette's mouth falls open. "Are you _serious_ right now?" she asks as he gives her a smug smile. "You think you're funny?"

"Me? I'm hilarious."

While Marinette screams her head off, Adrien could only laugh at how worked up she can get this early in the morning. While she rants about how rude it is to laugh when you're being scolded, Adrien could only think to himself, "Valentine's Day is coming up… I wonder if she likes chocolates."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I didn't know how to end the chapter, so I decided to give you guys a little treat of what's coming next: _Dark Cupid_! It's the chapter I'm sure most, if not, _all_ of you were waiting for! Though I'm going to be honest and say that writing _Dark Cupid_ is really stressing me out and making me really nervous because you guys are probably expecting it to be amazing. I'm so scared of disappointing you all. ;-;

I couldn't think of a title until I thought of the pun "Under Agreste" halfway through the chapter. I had to add it in somewhere, so there it is in the end LOL. This is a bit of a lazy chapter because, as I've mentioned before, I didn't like the _Rogercop_ episode. I rushed writing this because I just wanted to get it over with and continue writing the next chapter. I'm sorry if _Rogercop_ was one of your favorites!

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and most of all, the reviews! All the feedback I got from last chapter made me so happy, you don't even understand. Thank you so much! ;w;

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 6  
Chat Noir: 6**

 _Next Episode: Dark Cupid_


	12. Dark Cupid: First Love

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 12_

Dark Cupid: First Love

"In _Snow White_ and _Sleeping Beauty_ , the prince breaks the spell by kissing the princess. Can anyone tell us why?" Mme Bustier asks her class in the early morning.

They're in Literature, studying about old folk tales and fairytale clichés. They've gone through the traditional _Cinderella_ and _Little Red Riding Hood_ , and now they're exploring the two famous tales involving true love's kiss.

Rose, who is the most enthusiastic about fairytales, stands up and exclaims, "Because only love can conquer hate! Only true feelings can break the spell!"

"Correct, Rose," Mme Bustier smiles.

As the teacher continues to talk about the kiss of true love, Marinette can hear her teacher's voice slowly fading in the background as she concentrates on the letter she's writing. Today is Valentine's Day, and she can't deny the fact that she has fallen for her rival—Chat Noir invades her thoughts almost every second of every day.

"—Marinette?" The girl in question looks up from writing her letter to see Mme Bustier standing in front of her with her arm crossed. The teacher continues, "Can you tell me what I just said?"

Marinette blanches. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention," she says honestly.

"There's a fine line between love and hate," Mme Bustier re-explains. "And when two characters dislike each other, it almost never stays this way. One either falls for the other, or in most cases, they both end up falling for each other. When two people spend a lot of time together, hate eventually turns into love, as proven in _Beauty and the Beast_."

"But the Beast never hated Beauty," Rose falters.

Mme Bustier laughs. "Yes, I know, Rose. But Beauty certainly didn't like the Beast after what he's done to separate her and her family. But over time, she came to love him." The bell signaling that class is over rings and everyone gets up to pack up their things. The teacher makes one last announcement, "Now everyone, don't forget to finish _Sleeping Beauty_ by Charles Perrault tonight, and happy Valentine's Day!"

While everyone packs up their bags, Adrien notices that Marinette remains seated as she continues to jot down a series of words. Adrien slows down his pace and tries to take a peek at what she's writing, but Marinette is hiding the paper with her sleeve.

"Dude, you ready?" Nino asks, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"I'll meet you out front," Adrien tells his best friend, who merely shrugs and walks out of the classroom. Alya walks outside to join Nino when Marinette tells her she'll be out in a second.

Marinette finishes writing, and holds up the piece of paper to read it. Adrien knows she's unsatisfied when the smile on her face disappears, and she crumples it up and picks up her bag. She tosses the paper into the trash can and goes back out to meet Alya, and Adrien makes sure the coast is clear before picking up the paper.

"You're a _creep_ ," Plagg says, flying out of Adrien's pocket when all the students exit the classroom.

"I am _not_ ," Adrien says, straightening out the piece of paper. "I just want to know what she was so passionately writing about."

"Yes, which makes you a _nosy_ creep," Plagg smirks. "You _so_ like this Marinette girl. Don't even deny it—it's written all over your face."

"Just shut up, Plagg," Adrien glares, and then looks down at the paper to read what Marinette wrote.

The name of the person at the top of the page is scribbled intensely—as if she _knew_ someone was going to pick it up and read her letter. There are a few words that are scratched off and a few sentences crossed over, but the letter _does_ have heart, _does_ have love, and it appears as though she had been working on it all day. Adrien reads it out loud.

"Isn't it funny? How I started off hating you at first? We argue and insult each other every time we see one another, but despite this… I've never believed in anyone as much as I believe in you. We've been through a lot together, and with every meet-up, my admiration for you grew. I hated you at first, did you know? But it wasn't because of your insults—it was because I was _jealous_."

"I was jealous of you because you smile despite your pain, and you give everything your all. You're nothing like the clumsy me, who stresses about everything and keeps feelings bottled up inside. You're carefree and fearless and strong, and you're everything I'm not."

"I thought hated you, but then I realized I never did. After all the time we spent insulting and arguing with each other, somehow… I fell in love with you."

"I've wanted to tell you this for a while now, but now I feel like I'm ruining _everything_. We've been through so much, and the last thing I want is to break this friendship we've formed. It hurts knowing that you'll never love me like I love you. It really does—but when you smiled at me that day, when you looked at me with your warm, green eyes… I knew that I was going to be all right."

"I would give everything to see you smile again, even if it's not for me. Because then I'd know that you're happy, and that's all I could ever ask for. Happy Valentine's Day. Marinette."

"Warm, green eyes…" Plagg echoes, he quickly re-reads the letter and his mouth falls open slightly. "Kid, I think this letter's for you."

Adrien's face turns red. "It can't be for me," he says, shaking his head and re-reading the love letter. "Marinette hates me."

"Green eyes? Insults? Arguing? Hated you at first?" Plagg crosses his little arms. "You're the only green-eyed kid she argues with and insults. And she hated you _at first_. Can't you read French?"

"Maybe she insults and argues with another green-eyed boy," Adrien says, burying his face in the paper to hide his red cheeks.

"I doubt it," Plagg says, elbowing his wielder. "Like Mme Busted or whatever said, _there's a fine line between love and hate_."

Adrien's face lights up. "You're right," he smiles. Plagg finds himself smiling as well when he sees the happiness on Adrien's face, and he flies back into his wielder's pocket to hide.

Adrien puts the piece of paper in his bag and walks out of the classroom to meet up with Nino, who has his headphones on. "Ready to head out?" Nino asks, turning his music off.

"Ready," Adrien nods. He has a wide smile on his face the entire walk, and Nino wonders what could possibly have happened in the classroom to make him so happy.

Adrien and Nino walk out of the school, and catch sight of Marinette and Alya talking to Max and Kim. They walk towards them to join in on the conversation—it must be something interesting by the look on their faces.

"Ooh, sparkly!" Alya exclaims, lowering Kim's arm so that she could get a better view of the item in his hand. "Is that for me?"

"What's going on here?" Nino asks when he and Adrien approach the group of people. Adrien notices the slight scowl on Marinette's face when her eyes land on him and this confuses him for a split second. If the letter she wrote is for him, then shouldn't she look a bit… _happier_ to see him? He quickly dismisses the thought, and focuses more on what's going on.

"Kim got me a Valentine's Day gift," Alya announces confidently, pointing a finger at the jeweled brooch sitting in the heart-shaped case in Kim's hand.

"Negative, Alya," Max says, pushing his glasses up. "The recipient of this gem has already been determined, it's for—"

"Max, stop!" Kim says, clamping a hand over his friend's mouth. "Keep it on the down-low! I don't want anyone else to know about this. You guys are already too many!"

"What? Come on, dude. It's just us," Nino says. "We wouldn't tell anyone. Instead, we'll be cheering for you!"

"He's right! Now, who's the girl?" Alya asks excitedly, taking a picture of the flustered athlete with her cellphone. "Oh! Is it Alix?"

"Why does everyone think that?" Kim groans. "It's _not_ Alix. Just because we like making bets with each other doesn't mean something's going on between us."

"Well, whoever it is, I'm sure she'll love it!" Marinette exclaims with a smile. "It's gorgeous—she'd be crazy _not_ to!"

"Technically, she still has to accept it—" Kim suddenly grabs Max and begins shaking him. "What if she says no?!"

"She won't!" Adrien suddenly says, making everyone turn to him with surprised looks on their faces. "Go for it! Let her know how you feel about her before it's too late!"

"Thanks, man!" Kim nods with a grin. Max takes a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to Kim once he's done unfolding it. Kim jogs in place while he listens to Max's instructions carefully.

"Her route is highlighted here in yellow and yours in red," Max explains loud and clear. "If you run at ten miles per hour, you're going to gain a four and a half minute advance on her. Halt and wait here," he instructs, pointing at a specific area on the bridge. "Face northwest, and you're on the third most romantic spot in Paris."

"Good luck, Kim!" they all exclaim.

"Thanks, guys!" Kim grins before speeding off. Max leaves right away, saying he has to go home to train for an upcoming video game competition of sorts. After bidding him farewell, Nino, Alya and Marinette all turn their attention to Adrien.

"Well, someone seems overly-cheerful today," Alya notes, smirking in Adrien's direction. "Let her know how you feel about her before it's too late?"

"What?" Adrien asks. "I can't cheer him on?"

"No, no, you obviously can," Nino says, walking next to Alya. He places his elbow on her shoulder and leans against it all the while giving Adrien a grin. "Come on. Who is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Adrien says, feigning innocence. He takes a split-second glance at Marinette, and his ears suddenly start burning.

"A-Adrien?"

All four of them turn around to see a petite brown-haired girl with a bobcut standing behind Adrien. She has her arms behind her back, and there's a faint blush on her cheeks. He has never seen her in his life, but she must be another fan of his.

"Oh, um, hi," Adrien says politely. Marinette scowls at the kindness he's expressing towards the girl.

"I-I made this for you," the brunette says, holding out the item she was hiding behind her back. It's a little gift box wrapped in white and a red ribbon is stuck on top of it. "They're cupcakes. I hope you like them."

"Thank you," Adrien smiles, taking the gift. The girl gives him one last smile before running off to her group of friends, who squeal upon her return.

Adrien proceeds to put the box inside his bag, unintentionally giving his friends a full view of all the Valentine's Day cards and gifts he received from different girls that day.

"Is that how you normally act around girls?" Marinette asks through gritted teeth. Nino gives Alya a look, who only shrugs, unable to explain her best friend's sudden change in behavior.

"What do you mean?" Adrien asks, closing his bag.

"Why is it that _I'm_ the only one you're such a jerk to?" Marinette asks, clenching her fists. "Why are you so kind to everyone but me?!"

"Why are you so mad all of a sudden?!" Adrien asks. "Are you jealous that you didn't get anything from anyone?"

Marinette's face flushes. "I couldn't care less about that!" she screams. "I just want to know what makes me so different. Why are you so nice to every other girl, but you're always so mean to me?!"

"Unfortunately for you, I'm only nice to _cute_ girls!" Adrien screams, and Marinette's face turns red with anger and embarrassment at his words.

" _Okay_ , that's enough," Nino says, stepping in between the two. "He doesn't mean that."

"Neither does she," Alya says, placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder and turning her around. "Hey, Marinette, you were saying something about heart-shaped candy apples, right? Why don't we just go get some?" (Translation: we're leaving _now_ ).

Alya drags her away, leaving Adrien and Nino behind. Nino gives him a look, and Adrien defends himself by saying, "Okay, I know that was mean, but _she_ started that one. You know that."

"That doesn't give you the right to say something like that," Nino says, crossing his arms. A car then arrives and parks itself in front of the school. Nino gestures over to it, saying, "Your ride's here, by the way. Be sure to apologize to Marinette the next time you see her."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Happy Valentine's Day," Adrien says, turning around to walk to his car. Once inside, he buries his face in his hands, mumbling to himself, "I'm such an idiot."

* * *

"Explain. _Now_."

Marinette is sitting on a bench at the park, looking down guiltily. She takes a few licks of her pink, heart-shaped candy apple every now and then, using this as an excuse to look away from her friend's menacing gaze. Alya's candy is in her hand, left untouched since it was given to her by Marinette's dad when they passed by the bakery.

"I'm listening," Alya says, stomping her foot while crossing her arms. Marinette shrinks in her seat, feeling like a little kid being scolded by her mother. "Why did you act that way? _You_ were the one who started the fight, so the _he started it!_ argument is invalid."

"He'll never have to worry about unrequited love," Marinette mumbles, frowning.

"What do you mean by that?" Alya asks, taking a seat next to her best friend. "I'm here to listen. You know that, right?"

Marinette sighs. "He's _Adrien Agreste_. He could get any girl to fall in love with him, while I have to actually work for the guy I like to like me back."

"Who's this guy?" Alya asks, raising an eyebrow. "I don't recall you telling me about a guy."

"There's no guy," Marinette says almost too quickly. She lies smoothly, "I'm just saying. _If_ I ever fell for a guy, I'd actually have to work to even get him to like me as a friend. All Adrien has to do is breathe, and he's got over a hundred suitors lined up at his door."

"I get what you mean," Alya says, placing a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "But don't let this jealousy get to you. I'd rather have a guy like me for me, and not just because I'm some famous model. If you ask me, _you_ have the advantage here."

"Thanks, Alya," Marinette smiles, pulling her best friend in for a hug. Both of their phones suddenly make a beep, making them both let go of each other. Marinette takes her phone out and scans the screen. She asks aloud, "A text message?"

"From Chloe? Since when did _she_ start texting _us_?" Alya asks, swiping the notification window on her phone.

A picture of a soaked Kim on one knee presenting the jeweled brooch from earlier appears on their screens. An empty chip bag is stuck on the side of his head, and he has the most heartbroken look on his face. Marinette and Alya gasp at the picture.

"What a bit—" Alya begins.

" _Witch_ ," Marinette cuts in. "How _black_ is Chloe's heart for her to do something this mean?"

"It's Chloe. She doesn't _have_ a heart," Alya says. Something in the sky suddenly catches her eye, and she looks up, screaming, "What the heck is that?!"

Marinette looks up to see what Alya is looking at and gasps when she sees a winged figure wearing black and red with the design of a broken heart across his chest. His eyes land on the heart-shaped candies in both the girls' hands, and he shouts, "All hearts must be destroyed!"

He takes an arrow out of his bag and shoots it at the two. Marinette manages to jump out of the way, but Alya wasn't so lucky.

"A-Alya?" Marinette asks, approaching her friend. She notices Alya's honey gold eyes slowly fading in color, and a wicked smile appears on her face when they fully change to black.

Alya shoves the sticky candy apple onto Marinette's shirt, making her grimace at the stickiness. "You're not my best friend—I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than be called your _friend_ ," Alya says, making Marinette's mouth drop. "After how mean you've acted with Adrien up until now, _you're_ the one with the black heart!"

Alya runs off while cackling, making Marinette wonder what just happened. "What did he do to her?" she asks out loud, managing to pull the sticky treat off her shirt. She frowns at the stain it left, but that's the least of her worries right now.

Marinette looks up to see if there's anything familiar with the villain, and her eyes widen when she sees the crystal pin stuck on the slash across his chest. "That's Kim's pin!" Marinette exclaims when Tikki flies out of her purse. "I think he's been akumatized because of Chloe!"

"We have to do something!" Tikki exclaims.

Marinette nods and hides behind the bench she was sitting on earlier, hoping not to be found. When Kim flies off, she waits until he disappears in the distance before turning to her kwami and screaming, "TIKKI! TRANSFORM ME!"

Once she's been transformed into Ladybug, she jumps from roof to roof to look for the heartbroken victim. She luckily finds him standing on top of a townhouse's chimney, ready to aim and fire at Chloe, who's outside of the Grand Hotel de Paris talking to Sabrina. Ladybug hits his hand with her yoyo when he makes the shot, making him miss his target, angering him.

"Ladybug!" he roars. Chloe and Sabrina let out a scream before running into the hotel to hide.

"Stop it, Kim!" Ladybug yells, swirling her yoyo in her hand.

"I'm not Kim, I'm Dark Cupid now!" the akumatized villain announces. "I'll never stop! If I can't have love, then no one can!"

"Look, I know how it feels to be in an unrequited love," Ladybug says sadly as an image of Chat Noir appears in her mind. "But that doesn't mean you have to take it out on all of Paris!"

"Oh yes, I do!" Dark Cupid screams, fixing an arrow on his bow. "I won't stop until everyone's heart is crushed. Now, how about we turn that love you have for that special someone into hate?!"

Ladybug blocks the attack with her yoyo and proceeds to dodge every single arrow that follows. She squeezes herself between tight spaces and swings off in every direction, successfully managing to make Dark Cupid lose track of her. She crawls out of her hiding spot when she sees him flying further away in the distance, surprised to find Chat Noir leaning against the chimney of a townhouse.

"Hey there, My Lady," Chat Noir greets. Ladybug lets out a squeak because the sight of him makes her think back to the letter she spent writing to him all day. Her rival makes a questioning look, and asks, "Um, are you okay…?"

"Me? J-just fine!" Ladybug gulps. She quickly composes herself and warns him, "Whoever Dark Cupid shoots gets their love turn into hate, so no matter what, don't let him shoot you!"

"What difference would it make if he shot me?" Chat Noir scoffs. I already loa— _look out_!" He pushes Ladybug out of the way and takes the blow instead, falling to the floor and clutching his heart.

" _Chat Noir_!" Ladybug screams in horror. She gets back up on her feet and runs to his side worriedly. "Chat Noir, are you all right? Why did you do that?"

"Because… because…" Chat Noir begins. He then looks up, and Ladybug's eyes widen when Chat Noir's eyes are red instead of his usual green. She doesn't understand why his eyes aren't black like everyone else's, until he speaks up. He says in a dreamy voice, "I love you, Ladybug."

Ladybug freezes. "What did you say…?" she asks, her face warming up.

Chat Noir runs up to her and takes her hands. "I _love_ you, Ladybug—with all my heart. Let's put this rivalry aside and be partners instead. What do you say?"

"I… I don't understand," Ladybug says, backing up while shaking her head. "You don't really mean that. What's happening?"

A menacing cackle resounds from behind her, and she looks up to see Dark Cupid floating above her. "Don't you get it, Ladybug?" the akumatized victim asks. "When I shoot someone with an arrow, their love turns into hate _or_ their hate turns into love. Translation—if Chat Noir loves you now, then in reality, he _hates_ you."

Ladybug's heart drops at Dark Cupid's very words. Chat Noir hates her. She knows she shouldn't be surprised, but she thought that he _at least_ liked her as a rival. She wants to cry, but she has to save him—even when she could feel her heart slowly breaking.

"But… why?" Ladybug asks in an almost inaudible whisper. "Haven't you had enough? Stop messing with people's feelings already!"

"That's the whole point! My goal is to erase the love and happiness in everyone's hearts," Dark Cupid explains. "I reverse feelings, so that either way, someone gets hurt. You either get hurt from rejection or get your heart broken by false feelings, for a slow burn and ultimately better end game." He points over to her rival, and continues, "Chat Noir may look like he loves you now, but it's all fake. My arrow would have no use if it would just get people to hate each other. Would Chat Noir just hate you more? Is there even such a thing?" He takes an arrow out of his pack and points it towards her. "Now, like I said earlier, why don't we turn _your_ love into _hate_?"

Ladybug blocks his attack and pushes Chat Noir out of the way before kicking the doors of the Grand Hotel de Paris open. Dark Cupid and Chat Noir both watch her roll inside, and before the black cat superhero could run after her, he's stopped by the akumatized victim.

"I can make Ladybug fall in love with you, but you have to give me her Miraculous in return," Dark Cupid says, holding his hand out for Chat Noir to take. "Do we have a deal?"

Chat Noir takes his hand and nods, "Deal."

* * *

"You have to get out of here, Chloe!" Ladybug says in alarm. "Your friend Kim has been akumatized into Dark Cupid, and I don't know what he'll do if he finds you!"

" _Moi_?" Chloe asks, placing a hand on her chest. "How could anyone possibly have anything against _me_?"

"Who doesn't?" Ladybug mutters under her breath. Just as she's about to tell Chloe to run and hide, Sabrina lets out a piercing scream and points towards the entrance door.

Dark Cupid crashes right into the hotel lobby and starts shooting arrows at Ladybug, who deflects each one with her yoyo. She then wraps her yoyo around Chloe and pulls her all the way out of the hotel and into the streets.

"Chloe, run!" Ladybug shouts, and Chloe does just as she's told. She runs down the street, followed by a terrified Sabrina and a vengeful Dark Cupid. Ladybug is about to follow right behind, when Chat Noir suddenly jumps in front of her.

"Chat Noir?" Ladybug asks.

"Ladybug," Chat Noir says with a smile. "Please don't run away. I love you."

If this was the real Chat Noir, Ladybug's face would've warmed up at his smile and his words. Her heart would've skipped a beat, her knees would've turned into jelly, and her face would've become a fireball. But this isn't the real Chat Noir, so instead, she feels her heart splitting into two.

"I don't want it like this," Ladybug says, backing up while shaking her head. "Say it to me… when you're _not_ under this spell."

"I'm not under any spell," Chat Noir says, approaching her. "This is how I really feel."

Shaking her head, Ladybug turns around and runs, but Chat Noir pursues her. She hops from one roof to the other, but he's always right behind her. Ladybug stops running and wraps her yoyo around him, saying, "This isn't you, Chat Noir!"

"This _is_ me! I love you," Chat Noir says as he attempts to wiggle out of the string of her weapon. "I can't live without you, Ladybug. You mean everything to me. I want to start over and be partners."

"Translation," Ladybug frowns. "I hate you. I'm better off without you, Ladybug. You mean nothing to me. I'd never become partners with you."

"That's not true," Chat Noir says, shaking his head.

"It is," Ladybug says in a shaky voice. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… how do I get you out of this spell?" Her Literature class earlier that day suddenly makes its way into her mind.

" _The prince breaks the spell by kissing the princess."_

" _Only true feelings can break the spell!"_

"Chat Noir," Ladybug says, approaching him with cheeks dusted pink. "How about… a kiss?"

Chat Noir's eyes light up. "A kiss?" he asks excitedly.

"A kiss," she nods. She blushes upon remembering that she's going to lose her _first_ kiss to Chat Noir if her plan works out. "What do you think?"

"Yes! I've always dreamed of being kissed by you," Chat Noir says, closing his eyes and puckering his lips. Ladybug gulps and closes her eyes. She starts leaning in, and just as she's about to plant a kiss on his lips, a breeze of air suddenly whizzes right past them. Ladybug opens her eyes to see Dark Cupid flying above them.

"You're smart, aren't you, Ladybug?" Dark Cupid asks. "But there's no way I'm letting you break the spell!"

He sends a flurry of arrows her way, but Ladybug dodges and blocks each one of them. She jumps off the roof she's on, and lands behind a tree in the park to hide. Dark Cupid and Chat Noir both land in front of the fountain in the middle of the area, the former telling the latter not to lose focus.

"If you kiss her, then I'll be sure to make her _hate_ you," Dark Cupid threatens. "Don't let me down."

Chat Noir's eyes widen. "Understood," he says, activating his Cataclysm, much to Ladybug's horror.

"I have to get the old Chat Noir back," Ladybug says. "LUCKY CHARM!" She throws her yoyo in the air, but what comes down instead is a heart-shaped, ladybug-printed candy apple. "…Alright. Let me just have a quick snack, why don't I?"

She scans the area around her and memorizes the ladybug-printed pattern. She jumps out of her hiding place and yells, "Hey, here's a Valentine's Day gift from me to you, Dark Cupid!"

Dark Cupid flies towards her while shooting more arrows, and she dodges each one successfully. Chat Noir jumps into the fight, but Ladybug easily stops him by wrapping her yoyo around his body. She then pulls on the string of her weapon, making him fall to the ground. She unravels the string of her yoyo, and she jumps on him in order to reach Dark Cupid's aerial level. Ladybug throws the candy apple on the villain's head, and the sticky fondant splatters all over him.

"I guess you could say you've got yourself in a _sticky_ situation," Ladybug smirks, proud of herself for her pun.

Dark Cupid manages to get the candy out of his head, but when he tries to shoot another arrow at her, his glove sticks to the string of his bow, preventing him from sending it flying. " _Ladybug_!" he thunders.

Ladybug lands on top of the statue and says, "Now, about that kiss…"

Chat Noir tries to run away, but Ladybug jumps on top of him, making the two of them crash to the ground. Chat Noir is on top of her and he grins, "Once I give Dark Cupid your Miraculous, you'll love me, Ladybug, and we'll be together always!"

Ladybug suddenly cups the possessed Chat Noir's cheeks with her hands. "As much as I like you this way…" Ladybug whispers, frowning. "It's not the real you."

Ladybug pulls him down and closes her eyes when their lips touch. His lips are softer than she imagined, and they're unmoving, to which she assumes is because he's shocked. But slowly, she could feel his lips molding with hers. She could feel his hand cupping her cheek gently, his touch sending a spark of electricity throughout her body.

But just remembering that the Chat Noir she's kissing isn't the same Chat Noir who insults her all the time, starts arguments when he feels like it, makes stupid cat puns whenever he can… her heart splits into two.

When Ladybug pulls back, she opens her eyes and smiles sadly as the red in his eyes slowly fade to green. Once they're back to being the color of emerald, Chat Noir rolls off of her and screams, " _What the heck is going on_?!"

"That's the Chat Noir I know," Ladybug says, getting up. "Look, there's no time to explain—just get that pin off of Dark Cupid's chest!" She pushes Chat Noir towards him, making him knock Dark Cupid off his feet. His hand emanating the dark glow of Cataclysm touches Dark Cupid's sash, making it dissolve. "GRAB THE PIN! THE AKUMA'S IN THERE!"

Dark Cupid tries to shield his pin with his hand, but Chat Noir snatches it before he could do so. "Sorry, I need that," he winks. Just as he's about to smash it on the ground, Dark Cupid kicks it out of his grasp, which lands perfectly in Ladybug's hands. The akumatized victim gasps at the turn of events.

"Is this for me, _Kim_?" Ladybug asks, propping up her leg. "Aw, you shouldn't have!" She then drops the pin on the ground and stomps on it with her foot. A black butterfly flutters out of the item, and Ladybug successfully catches it with her compact. "Bye bye, little butterfly," she says when a white butterfly flies out of it instead. She retrieves her Lucky Charm and throws it up in the air, screaming, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

As magic dust swirls around them fixing all that's broken (with the exception of Ladybug's broken heart), a warning beep suddenly resounds from her earrings.

"Well, clearly I lost this round," Chat Noir scowls, looking down at his beeping ring. He then points at her earrings and tells her, "You should go before you transform back. I'll see you tonight for patrol."

He gives her a two-finger salute and runs off, but before Chat Noir is out of sight, Ladybug calls out to him, "Wait!"

Chat Noir stops running and turns back around. He asks, "What? Is there something wrong?"

"N-no! Nothing's wrong, it's just… I mean, I have to—" Ladybug stammers, feeling her face grow warm. She takes a deep breath and says slowly, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What is it?" Chat Noir asks, taking a few steps closer. "You should probably hurry it up before our transformations wear out."

"Chat Noir… it's because… I know you…" Ladybug begins. Her face grows hot, her heart is beating twice as fast, and her whole world is spinning when she looks up into his eyes. Dark Cupid's words from earlier suddenly hit her, and just remembering that he hates her makes her confidence diminish. She frowns, and sighs, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Chat Noir isn't convinced that that was what she wanted to tell him, but he doesn't push it. "Happy Valentine's Day to you too," he says.

Chat Noir turns around and runs off, and Ladybug's smile fades as she reaches out a trembling hand. She's about to call out his name again, about to tell him how she feels, but it's too late. She grabs the air instead, and her arm slowly drops to his side.

His figure disappears in the distance, and Ladybug is left behind with an aching heart.

* * *

Marinette is sitting on a bench at the park after the whole Dark Cupid episode. She wanted to tell Chat Noir how she felt about him, but she backed out at the last second. She was too afraid of the unknown—too afraid to break what they currently have. Because if she _does_ confess to him… how would things turn out? Would he learn to like her too?

Marinette sighs, looking down at the ground sadly.

She wishes she knew the answer to that so that she'd know what to do.

"Hey."

Marinette turns to the sound of the voice to see Adrien sitting next to her on the bench. He's looking straight ahead, his cheeks are red, and he appears to be holding a red, heart-shaped box in his hands.

"What are you doing here?" she asks in a somewhat rude manner. "Don't tell me you're here to make fun of me because I didn't get any Valentine's Day gifts or cards. And shouldn't you be at home un-wrapping the hundreds of gifts your fangirls got you?"

Instead of answering her, Adrien places the gift next to him and slides it across the bench towards her. Marinette gives him a questioning look. "…It's for you," Adrien says, turning to her.

She displays a look of surprise. "What?"

"They're chocolates. They're not homemade or anything, but it's the thought that counts, right?" Adrien says, giving her a small smile. There's something familiar about his smile, but Marinette just can't quite put a finger on it.

She slowly picks up the heart-shaped box and lifts up the cover to see heart-shaped chocolates inside. Marinette turns to him and grins, "These are my favorite."

"Really?" Adrien asks, and Marinette nods. "Thank goodness. I'm glad."

Marinette takes one of the chocolates out and pops it in her mouth. She smiles, "Thank you, jerk."

He smiles. "No problem, klutz. Happy Valentine's Day."

They spend the rest of the afternoon in a comfortable silence, and Adrien is glad that for once, they aren't at each other's throats. He wants to ask her about the letter, but he's afraid of the unknown—too afraid to break what they currently have. Because if he _does_ confess to her… how would things turn out? Would she learn to like him too? Then again… what if that letter _wasn't_ for him?

Despite that last thought, Adrien takes a deep breath, ready to tell her, but he stops himself when Marinette gets up from the bench.

"I have to go," Marinette says, smiling down at him. "I just remembered I have plans tonight."

Adrien's stomach drops. "Oh. I guess I'll… see you tomorrow?" he asks.

"See you tomorrow," she nods. "Thanks again for the chocolates, Adrien. Happy Valentine's Day."

Marinette walks away, and Adrien stands up and reaches out a trembling a hand. He's about to call out her name, about to tell her how he feels, but he decides against it. He grabs the air instead, and his arm slowly drops to his side.

Adrien frowns when her figure disappears in the distance, and he could only feel the aching in his chest.

* * *

The sky is a blanket of midnight blue, thousands of bright stars shimmer in the night sky, and the moon is full, splashing pearl-white light all over the city. Paris celebrates Valentine's Day by lighting up their buildings with red and pink, and the town is still bustling with couples on dates even at this late hour of one in the morning.

Ladybug is sitting over the edge, and her legs are dangling in the air while she waits for Chat Noir to arrive. She nervously holds her humble gift in her arms—homemade chocolates inside a heart-patterned cellophane bag with a little red ribbon holding it closed. She spent nearly two hours making the perfect chocolates. They're made from the heart, and she could only hope that he likes them.

"You're here early."

Ladybug turns to her left to see Chat Noir standing in the distance with a smirk on his face.

"Ch-Chat Noir," Ladybug stammers, and she could feel her face growing warm. She gets up on her feet and walks towards him, tripping on her own feet in the process. She slams into his chest, and Chat Noir grabs her arms to help her up.

"Tripping over nothing," Chat Noir snickers. "It must be a talent."

Ladybug quickly composes herself and holds out her gift to him. "I got you something for Valentine's Day. I didn't bring it earlier because it would've gotten ruined during our mission," she says. "I made them myself. I know they're not even close to tasting like gourmet chocolates, but it's the thought that counts."

Chat Noir picks up the bag of chocolates with a surprised expression on his face. They're both silent, neither one of them knowing what to say.

But then he smiles, and the whole world stops.

"Thank you, Ladybug," Chat Noir says, ruffling her hair. "Really. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ladybug smiles. They take their seats on the edge of the Eiffel Tower, and Ladybug watches nervously as he takes out a chocolate and pops it into his mouth. She asks quietly, "How are they?"

Chat Noir pops another piece of candy in his mouth. "They're edible." Ladybug scowls, making Chat Noir laugh. "I'm kidding. They're great."

"I'm glad," Ladybug says with a small smile.

"I actually got you something too," Chat Noir says, taking a little bag of chocolates out of his pocket. He tosses the little bag to her, which she catches clumsily. "You looked a bit down earlier."

Ladybug looks down at the little bag of candies. It's a simple, plain cellophane bag with a pink and white polka-dotted ribbon holding it closed. There are only five or six chocolates inside, but the fact that he would go out of his way to get her something even though he dislikes her makes her so happy.

It's a small start.

It's _something_ , isn't it?

They sit at their usual spot for what seems like an hour or even more, and they talk about anything and everything. For once, they're not at each other's throats, and Ladybug embeds every smile Chat Noir gives her into her mind. He has such a beautiful smile—if only he could smile at her like that more often.

"I'm going to go," Chat Noir says, standing up and stretching. "It's been a long day."

"I should probably head out too," Ladybug says, getting up and tightening the pink and white polka-dotted ribbon keeping her gift together. "Thanks again for the chocolates."

"It's nothing," he says. To him, it may seem like something small, but to her, it means so much more than he could ever know. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He's about to jump off the Eiffel Tower, when Ladybug calls out to him. "Wait," she says.

Chat Noir turns around. "Hm?"

His eyes widen when Ladybug approaches him and pulls him by the collar. She plants a quick kiss on his cheek, and exclaims without looking him in the eye, "See you tomorrow!"

She jumps off the tower without another word and swings off into the night, leaving behind a confused Chat Noir. Once he's registered what just happened, he touches the cheek Ladybug kissed just seconds ago.

"She's… pretty cute, isn't she?" Chat Noir asks out loud with a chuckle. "She kind of reminds me of Marinette."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** My initial plan was to make Ladybug get hit by the arrow, but it wouldn't have worked with her and Chat Noir's relationship in this AU. Chat Noir would've _loved_ her that way. He wouldn't want to break the spell because arrow-hit Ladybug would've been all, "PFFT, I'D NEVER BE PARTNERS WITH YOU. WE'RE RIVALS AND THAT'S HOW IT'S GOING TO STAY. THERE'S NO _WE_ IN _TEAM_." which is what Chat Noir wanted in the first place. The kiss wouldn't have made any sense either (actually, there wouldn't even have been a kiss. Chat Noir would've probably just pulled the Miraculous Chat and cure her of the spell). So, here's my version of _Dark Cupid_ —angst and fluff and sobs. (I normally don't like using "I love you" because it's a strong sentence, but that's what we all want, right? LOL).

I modified Dark Cupid's abilities because I always wondered what would've happened if he hit two people who already hated each other. Having the person you like return your feelings but knowing it's fake is just as painful as having them hate you, don't you think?

Concerning the questions I'm getting about future chapters, I can't answer them! You'll have to wait until the chapter comes out otherwise it's a huge spoiler. As for the questions asking if I'm going to be writing Season 02, I'm still deciding because I already wrote the epilogue to this story! (I'm leaning more towards _no_ , however…)

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and for all the reviews! I can't believe I already have over 150 reviews! I can't thank you all enough! I'm going to cry of happiness! Thank you! :')

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 7  
Chat Noir: 6**

 _Next Episode: Horrificator_


	13. Horrificator: I've Seen Scarier

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 13_

Horrificator: I've Seen Scarier

"Agent Smith, it's too dangerous," a boy with blond hair warns his partner. "We must evacuate!"

"You are suggesting we run, Officer Jones?" Officer Jones' partner, a girl with blonde hair and strands of green, blue and magenta, asks. "After it devoured my family, my friends, even my beloved dog? Never!" She gets up on her feet and bravely says, "I won't run! I no longer fear it, I'm going to face it, and then I'll— _AH_!"

" _Cut_!"

The entire classroom sighs when their actress playing Agent Smith—Mylene—dives under the desk an umpteenth time after seeing the monster, which just turns out to be Ivan in a costume.

"Sorry, Mylene," Ivan apologizes after taking off his mask.

"Mylene," Nino, the director, groans. He lowers his camera and massages his temples, and Mylene frowns at the disappointed looks everyone shoots at her when she crawls out of her hiding spot. She's ashamed to say that she gets scared easily, but the monster costume is the stuff of nightmares (according to her). "That was, like, the tenth take, and we're only on the _first_ scene!"

"Fourteenth actually, but who's counting, right?" Alix says, holding up a black clapperboard. This information only makes Nino sigh tiredly.

"I-I'm sorry," Mylene apologizes, looking down ashamedly. "I'll do better on the next take, I promise."

"You're playing a hero from the Special Forces," Nino explains. "You're not supposed to get scared so easily! You're supposed to be _brave_!"

"I know, but…" Mylene gulps, glancing over at the mask in Ivan's hands. "That monster mask he's wearing is so realistic and scary."

"It's just me, Mylene," Ivan smiles down at her. "There's nothing to be scared of."

"If you ask me, he doesn't even need a mask!" Chloe cackles, and Sabrina laughs along with her. This makes everyone turn to Chloe with a disapproving look, but no one says anything to her because they're not in the mood to have the _princess_ call up her dad and cause trouble for everyone.

"Ivan, put the mask back on, you're playing the monster," Nino instructs the big guy, who nods. The director then turns to Mylene and tells her, "And Mylene, we need you to stay in character."

Ivan puts the mask back over his head and Mylene cowers in fear at his costumed appearance. "I-I need to sing a song for me to feel better," she stammers, taking a deep breath. Quietly, she sings while backing up slowly, " _Miraculous… Simply the best_ _…_ "

Alya instantly recognizes the song one of her followers made for Ladybug and Chat Noir. She knows Mylene is a fan of Ladybug's, and it's quite refreshing and flattering to know that her LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat make such a big effect on the people in Paris.

" _Up to the test when things go—AH_!" While backing up, Mylene accidentally bumped into Adrien, surprising her and making her jump three feet in the air.

Chloe gets up from her seat and slams hand on her desk, snobbishly saying, "And the award for Most Pathetic Scaredy-Cat goes to… Mylene!"

This makes tears flood in Mylene's eyes, and Adrien could only place a comforting hand on her shoulder. He looks up from her to glare at Chloe, saying, "Really, Chloe?"

"What?" Chloe scoffs, flicking her wrist. "I'm only saying the truth."

Mylene lets out and sob and dashes out of the classroom before anyone could see her cry. Marinette chases after her, screaming, "Mylene, wait!" She then turns to the class, "Is anyone going to go after her?"

Ivan rips the monster mask off his face and runs out of the room, screaming, "I will!"

Shortly after he disappears behind the door, Nino turns to Chloe angrily. "Great, just _great_! Nice going, Chloe!" he screams, throwing his hands in the air. "What are we supposed to do now without our leading actress?"

Chloe crosses her arms. "Who needs her anyway? She was totally lame!" she snorts.

" _You're_ lame!" a voice booms from the door of the classroom. Standing there is an angry Ivan with the deathliest glare on his face. "Mylene is crying her eyes out in the bathroom thanks to you, you heartless _witch_!"

" _What_ did you call me?!" Chloe screams back.

"Everybody, _calm down_ ," Marinette says, waving her clipboard. "While I agree that Chloe is heartless and a witch—" This comment in particular has the entire class (minus Chloe and Sabrina) nodding. "Fighting isn't the answer. It won't bring Mylene back. I'm the producer, so I _will_ do my best to finish filming tonight."

"The deadline for the Parisian Student Short Film Festival is tomorrow evening," Max, the time keeper, says. He looks down at his watch and says, "Precisely, twenty-six hours, fifteen minutes and fourteen seconds as of… now."

"Thanks, Max," Marinette nods, flipping through her clipboard. "And we still have editing, post-sound, soundtrack—"

"Wait, but who's going to take Mylene's part?" Adrien asks.

"Me, of course!" Chloe says, placing a hand on her chest, and the other on her hip.

"You didn't even read the script!" Alya argues, shoving the script in her face. "Why would we cast _you_ as the lead?"

"For your information, I _did_. The first scene anyway," Chloe says, making her way towards Adrien. She hugs his arm and flutters her eyelashes at him, saying, "I can even tell you that it ends with a kiss between Agent Smith and Officer Jones!"

Marinette's eye twitches when the image of Adrien kissing Chloe appears in her mind. Alya snickers upon noticing her best friend's reaction to this—wait… she didn't write a kiss?

Alya flips through the script and exclaims, "Hold up! I didn't write a kiss?!"

"Uh… I wrote it," Nino says, smiling sheepishly and shifting from one foot to the other. "It was just a little tweak. You know, to move the story forward."

" _What_?!" Alya says, marching up to him and hitting the script on the desk next to her. "You added at my script without even telling me? That's low!"

"Wait a minute, you mean _our_ script!" Nino says. The two glare at each other so intensely that their classmates could swear they see crackling streams of lightning between their eyes.

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Oh, who cares who wrote what? We've got to film this thing, right?"

"She's right. Principal Damocles is only allowing us to use school until six sharp," Max says, glancing down at his watch. "This leaves us nine hours, twelve minutes and twelve seconds as of… now."

Marinette grabs Alya's arm and drags her to the corner of the classroom. "Adrien and Chloe kissing is _not_ happening," she growls.

Alya's shocked expression fades into a snicker. "And why's that?" she asks playfully.

"B-because… because wh-who'd want to kiss Chloe, right?" Marinette says. Though her face shows confidence, the nervous and hesitant deliverance of her reason begs to differ.

"If you say so," Alya says in a sing-song voice before going through the pages of her script. "It makes no sense story-wise anyway. The main character's emotional journey is the whole plot of the movie. There's no room for romance."

An idea pops into Marinette's mind, and this may just stop the kiss scene from happening. She drags Alya back to the front of the class and tells her classmates, "We can't let Mylene just leave just like that, it's wrong! We all chose her to play the leading female role! And we're all in this movie together—she needs our support. I'm going to go find her and bring her back, _then_ we'll film."

Marinette puts her clipboard down and heads towards the door of the classroom, when Chloe speaks up. "Always trying to save the day, aren't you, Marinette?" she snorts. "Good luck finding the filthy hole that scaredy-cat's hiding in."

Marinette ignores the blonde's nasty comment and heads out to look for the _real_ leading actress. She goes to the girls' washroom first because Ivan said that Mylene was crying in there.

"Mylene? My—" Marinette gasps when she sees pink slime all over one of the washroom's mirrors. She hesitates for a second before touching the goo with her finger, and she makes a face of disgust at the feeling of the texture.

"Marinette!" Alya screams, running into the bathroom. "Did you find Mylene?!"

"No," Marinette says, shaking her head. "Is there something wrong?"

"What was that about Adrien and Chloe kissing?"

Marinette's eyes widen, and she and Alya sprint back to the classroom. Through the door's window, they could see Chloe inching closer to an uncomfortable Adrien. Marinette kicks the door open and yells, " _Cut_!"

"Marinette, what gives?!" Nino screams, walking in between Chloe and Adrien. "We're in the middle of a shoot, and I'm the director, just so you know. _I_ say cut, no one else. Understand?"

"And I'm the producer!" Marinette argues, pointing a finger at her face. "Mylene's supposed to be the lead actress of this movie, not Chloe!"

"We're out of time, and from what I can see, Mylene isn't down for the role," Nino says. He claps his hands, "Let's take it from the top, people!"

"This is so stupid! It makes no sense!" Alya screams, pointing at her script. "Agent Smith does _not_ need a man in her life right now! Her pet and her entire family just got eaten!"

"Do you want to finish this film or not?" Nino retorts, arms akimbo.

"Then let's just make Agent Smith a nurse instead! That'll fix everything!" Chloe suggests, making everyone in the room raise a questioning brow.

"Um, I'm sorry," Alya says, shaking her head. " _How_ , exactly?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure I'd look _amazing_ in a nurse uniform," Chloe says, flipping her ponytail.

"Oh, come on! We're not going to rewrite this script again!" Nino groans.

"I'm _not_ putting my name on those credits if _she's_ changing the story to something that stupid and nonsensical!" Alya screams.

"Hmph, who cares about you anyway?"

Alya's face turns red with anger. "Why, you little—"

"Everyone calm down! This movie's a team effort!" Marinette says. She then turns to Chloe and with the fakest smile she can muster, she says, "Your nurse idea's perfect, Chloe!"

"What?! Marinette, are you out of you—" Alya stops when Marinette sends her a wink.

"Of course it's a perfect idea. Because it's mine!" Chloe exclaims. "I'm glad _someone_ has their head screwed on right today."

"But Chloe… you don't have a nurse uniform," Marinette says innocently, making Chloe gasp. "I think you and your assistant should go down to the nurse's office and try out some uniforms."

"Hm. You're right. Sabrina! Max! Kim!" Chloe screams, making the redhead run right to her side. "Come with me!"

"No way," Kim shakes his head while crossing his arms. "Not after what you did to embarrass me a few weeks back."

Chloe childishly stomps her foot and leaves the room, followed by an excited Sabrina and an annoyed Max. When the three leave the room, Nino scolds Marinette. "Nice going, Miss Producer! Now we have no lead— _again_!" he fumes, taking his baseball cap off and scratching his head in frustration.

"You should thank me for getting rid of Chloe!" Marinette says. "This gives us enough time to look for Mylene."

"Um, that's the problem—we _don't_ have time!" Nino groans. "Who's going to be our lead actress now?"

Alya grins wickedly. "I volunteer Marinette as tribute!" she says, taking Marinette's hand and raising it up high. Adrien's face grows warm at the thought of kissing Marinette, but he displays a look of disgust when she looks his way. After all the damage he's already done, he can't just switch personalities and suddenly be kind to her.

Marinette yanks her arm back. " _No_! Definitely not!" she screams. "There's _no way_ I'm kissing _him_!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Adrien screams, hopping off the desk he was sitting on. He stomps over to her and yells, "Why do you have to insult me every single time?! I was just sitting there quietly—I didn't do anything to provoke you!"

"Now you—"

" _Stop_!" Nino says, massaging his temples. "Marinette, you're the placeholder until Mylene gets back. Let's just get to filming because we're losing time!"

Adrien and Marinette turn away from each other and cross their arms while muttering insults under their breaths.

Nino is about to start recording, when he notices that the two still have their backs turned at each other. "Um, guys? You're supposed to be a couple, so _act like a couple_ ," the director orders.

Sighing, Adrien and Marinette turn to face each other. Sapphire meets emerald, and while Marinette feels guilty since she thinks she's betraying Chat Noir, Adrien's heart is beating twice as fast.

He gulps.

"Horrificator, take sixteen," Alix says, clapping the black clapperboard.

" _Action_!" Nino exclaims, tapping the _Record_ button on his phone.

"I'm not scared of that monster, Officer Jones," Marinette says through gritted teeth.

Marinette closes her eyes and places her two hands on Adrien's chest. She goes on her tippy-toes and puckers her lips, waiting to get this kiss over with already. Adrien, however, feels as though his heart is about to explode. He can feel his ears burning and his mind is a scattered mess as he tries to register what is about to happen.

"I'm going to kiss Marinette," he thinks to himself. Adrien awkwardly places his hands on her waist and leans in. His eyes slowly droop down and he's leaning in, his lips just inches away from her—

" _Cut_!"

This shrill voice causes Adrien and Marinette to jump three meters away from each other.

"What did I say about other people saying cut?" Nino groans.

"Well played, Marinette!" Chloe says, stomping up to her. "All that talk about hating Adrien is all a lie, isn't it?"

Marinette scowls. "What are you talking about?"

"Marinette's got a crush on Adrien!" Chloe says childishly, pointing a finger at her.

"I do not!" Marinette screams, clenching her fists and stomping her foot on the floor. Adrien's face falls for a split second at her claim.

"If you try to get rid of me again, your stupid little movie won't even make it into the festival if I'm not in it because my daddy is one of the judges!"

Chloe is interrupted by the sound of horrified screams coming from the school hallways. Everyone's eyes widen at the familiar voices—they belong to no other than Sabrina and Max.

"Did you guys hear that?" Adrien asks.

"If this is another one of your stupid ideas to get me out of the way, you can forget it because—"

More screams interrupt her, making the entire class turn to the door. "I definitely heard that. We better go see what's happening," Marinette says, running out of the classroom.

The rest of the production crew all follow suit, and Nino begins recording in case anything interesting happens so that he can incorporate it into the final product. The entire class all race down the stairs and into the courtyard, calling out the names of their missing classmates.

"Hey! Anybody here? Sabrina! Max! Where are you guys?" Adrien calls out, cupping his mouth with his hands.

Nino notices Marinette looking down at the floor with wide eyes. He approaches her and gasps at the sight, making everyone run to their side to see what's so shocking. There's pink slime on the floor, and Sabrina's white headband is left behind, covered in the gooey substance.

"I saw the same pink slime in the washroom!" Marinette says, picking Sabrina's headband up. She walks over to Chloe and shows it to her.

Surprisingly, the blonde gasps and snatches the headband out of Marinette's hands. Everyone thinks she's going to say something along the lines of _we have to save her!_ or _let's go look for her!_ , but instead, Chloe says, "No! Who's going to do my Physics homework now?"

"They vanished!" Nathanael screams, grabbing the sides of his head.

"We should go to Principal Damocles' office and tell him what's going on!" Marinette says. She then turns to Nino and says, "Nino, come on! Stop filming!"

"Not a chance! This is just getting good!" the director grins. He then notices Adrien tip-toeing away, and he asks his best friend, "Adrien! Where are you going?"

Adrien turns around and laughs nervously while scratching the back of his head. "I think my left my cellphone upstairs. I better go get it in case I lose any of you!" he says, sprinting up the stairs.

In the classroom, Adrien unties his left shoe's laces. When Plagg flies out of his pocket, the kwami ask his wielder, "What are you doing, kid?"

"So they'll think I've disappeared too," Adrien says, throwing his orange Converse shoe on the floor.

Plagg's face contorts in disgust. "Okay, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that Camembert smells better than your shoe," he says.

"Yeah, yeah," Adrien says, punching the air. "Come on, let's go get that tally mark! PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming into Chat Noir, he leaps out into the hallways and gasps when he sees pink slime all over the walls and windows. He unstraps his silver staff from his belt and tries to cut through the goo, but to no avail.

"Seriously?" Chat Noir groans, strapping his staff back onto his belt. He runs to the Principal's office to see if his classmates are all right, and he's taken aback to see Ladybug already there.

"We've got to calmly evacuate the building, okay everyone?" she tells his class.

"Uh-huh," Chat Noir says as he leans against the doorframe. Everyone turns to look at him, and he smirks at the excited grins Nino and Alya throw his way. "Easier said than done, Ladybug."

"It's Chat Noir!" Alix exclaims excitedly, and Juleka can't help but grin widely. The two have been on Team Chat Noir since day one, so to see their favorite superhero right before their eyes is unbelievable.

"I tried to cut through the goo, but it's no good—totally indestructible," Chat Noir explains. "So, looks like we're trapped inside the school for now. So, just try to stay put and relax, guys." He walks into the room and throws his hands behind his head, asking his rival, "Shall we take a stroll, My Lady?"

"So, what do you have to tell me?" Ladybug asks. Her eyes are sparkling, and although unlikely, she hopes for him to say something about working together and—

"You suck. I'm going to win," Chat Noir grins.

"Don't mind me, just getting some LadyNoir evidence for my blogs," Alya grins, sticking her head between the two. "My followers are going to _love_ this!"

"Let's stay together, everyone!" Ladybug says. "We can't lose any more classmates!"

They all run out of the principal's office and into their classroom to see a lone orange Converse shoe on the floor.

"Anyone recognize this shoe?" Chat Noir asks as he walks over and picks it up.

"That's Adrien's shoe!" Nino screams in horror.

"Really?" Ladybug asks somewhat worriedly. "Who else did the Horrificator take?"

Rose scans the group of people in the room. "Chloe's gone too!" she exclaims in fear. She then counts on her fingers and tells Ladybug, "Besides her, there's also Max, Sabrina and Marinette."

"It took Marinette?" Chat Noir asks in a low whisper, eyes wide and filled with worry.

Ladybug touches the floor around the orange show, muttering, "Weird how there's no pink slime here…"

"There's some over he—" Nathanael begins, but a purple tail appears from behind the desk and wraps itself around the redhead. His sickening screams could be heard from underneath the desk, which is then thrown across the room, where it smashes against the back wall. The monster has Nathanael wrapped around its tail, and the redhead could only cry for help and attempt to wiggle out of its grasp.

"The Horrificator!" Nino screams as he continues to record.

"Everybody, run!" Ladybug yells, and the rest of her classmates all run out of the room screaming except for Juleka. The screams make the monster grow, and Ladybug and Chat Noir make a mental note of their observation.

"Awesome," Juleka grins. The monster approaches her and roars in her face, but the black-haired girl with violet streaks only grins wider. "So awesome!"

The Horrificator spits goo at Juleka, but Ladybug pulls her out of the way just in time. Ladybug pushes her out the door and tells her to go hide before turning back to the monster, ready to battle.

"So, this is the famous Horrificator, huh?" Chat Noir says, performing a backflip to dodge the pink slime hurled in his direction. "I've got to say, I'm a bit disappointed. I've seen scarier."

"Oh, have you?" Ladybug asks, ducking to avoid one of the monster's attacks. "Where?"

"Look in the mirror," Chat Noir snickers, making Ladybug throw her yoyo at his face. "Ow!"

The Horrificator launches another round of slime at them, to which Ladybug and Chat Noir dodge by jumping out the door of the classroom. The two heroes and the beast all land on the school's indoor courtyard, the two heroes too afraid to make any sudden attack in fear of hurting Nathanael. The akumatized victim catches sight of the students hiding, and they all gasp in fear, making it grow.

"Fear!" Ladybug exclaims, pointing at it. "It's fear that gives it its strength!"

The Horrificator spits slime in Chat Noir's direction, who leaps out of the way, then spits in Ladybug's direction, who deflects it with her yoyo. Using all the strength she could muster, Ladybug runs forward and slides right under it. She manages to wrap her yoyo around one of its legs, preventing it from moving.

"This stops here!" Chat Noir yells, ready to strike it with his staff. However, the Horrificator hurls pink goo at him, getting him stuck against the rails of the second floor. It then spins Ladybug around with her yoyo's string, and when it lets go, the superheroine lands right over another basketball net. The beast spits goo her way as well, trapping her in the hoop.

The Horrificator turns back to the group of frightened students and makes its way towards them. It instantly recognizes Ivan, however, and instead of capturing him, it licks his face. It turns around to leave, but not before grabbing Kim and Alix, who cry for desperate help.

"It took Alix, Kim and Nathanael!" Rose cries in horror.

"The more scared people are of it, the more powerful it gets!" Ladybug explains. "By defeating fear, we defeat it!"

"Got it," Chat Noir says. "Now, before we jump into battle against each other, why don't we get out of this sticky situation first?" He extends his staff and uses it to make a crack in the hoop Ladybug is stuck in. She screams at how close his weapon is to hitting her, and sends her rival a glare. "Dang it, I missed your head," he smirks.

The basketball hoop crumbles, making Ladybug fall to the floor on her butt. "That hurt, you know!" she screams up at him.

"Not my fault you're uncoordinated," Chat Noir says, landing gracefully on his feet when Ladybug frees him from the hardening slime. "What can I say? A cat always lands on its—"

"Just shut up and let's go," Ladybug says, running ahead. She runs over to the door the Horrificator went through and tries to pull it open, but it won't budge because of the goo keeping it glued shut from the other side. "Did you see how it just left Ivan alone?"

"If you ask me," Chat Noir begins, making a thinking pose. "I think the Horrificator is Mylene."

"You're right!" Ladybug says. "Who else would it show kindness to?" Their classmates run up to them to ask if they're all right, to which Chat Noir and Ladybug answer yes.

"Where did they take Alix, Kim and Nathanael?"

"We'll find them, don't worry," Ladybug assures them. "That is, if we can find a way out of here…"

A terrified shriek suddenly resounds from the other side of the building, and they all run towards the source of the scream. They all enter the classroom it came from, upset to find no one inside.

"We're too late!" Ladybug exclaims when she kicks the door open.

"But look," Chat Noir says, pointing at the trail of pink goo. "It left its tracks."

They all follow the patches of slime, which leads them all to the door of the school's basement. "I'm so amped!" Nino exclaims a little too loudly, pumping a fist in the air.

"Turn your amp down to about four, will you?" Chat Noir asks.

Nino rubs the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "My bad," he laughs.

The group follows the superheroes all the way down the stairs and up to the end of the hallway, where cocoons of pink slime are planted all over the area.

"Anybody in here?" Ladybug asks loudly, and muffled screams follow.

"Ladybug, it's me, Chloe Bourgeois!" says one cocoon.

"Don't worry! We'll get you out of there!" Ladybug assures her.

"Well, hurry it up already!" Chloe says rudely, making Ladybug roll her eyes.

"Is everyone here?" Chat Noir calls out. "Kim? Alix? Nathanael?" He continues to name the rest of his classmates, who notify their presence through muffled screams. "Marinette?" When he doesn't receive an answer, his call becomes more desperate and worried, "Marinette?!"

At this, Ladybug hides behind one of the cocoons and places her hands over her mouth to create the illusion of a muffled cry. "Yeah, I'm here!" Chat Noir sighs in relief. Ladybug continues, "What about Adrien? Is he all right?"

The fact that she cared to call out for him makes his face grow warm. "He's all right! Everyone's here," Chat Noir replies. He tries hitting the cocoons with his staff, but they're seemingly indestructible. "These things are harder than I thought."

A gush of pink slime suddenly flies over their heads, spreading over the door and trapping everyone inside. The Horrificator jumps off the rails of the second floor, landing right in front of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

" _Okay_ , well, you're a lot bigger than I remembered," Ladybug says, shrinking at the monster's size. The Horrificator spits goo at the two, who dodge it. It decides to pursue Chat Noir, and Ladybug takes this as the opportunity to use her Lucky Charm. "LUCKY CHARM!"

Guitar strings fall into her hands, making her classmates' faces fall. "…Guitar strings?" Nino asks flatly.

"Guitar strings, guitar, music…!" Ladybug brainstorms. When the ladybug-printed pattern appears, she memorizes it and her face lights up immediately. "That's it! A song! Mylene said that singing a song always make her feel better!" She grabs the cart holding various janitorial items like wet floor signs and traffic cones, and pulls it towards her.

The Horrificator continues to chase Chat Noir, much to his great annoyance. "That's it—I'm ending this!" he says. "CATACLYSM!" When a black, bubblish glow appears on his hand, Chat Noir jumps to the second floor and touches the rails, making them rust and fall all around the Horrificator. This traps the villain, who isn't strong enough to bend the bars. It only screams in anger, clutching the bars as if it were in a jail cell.

Ladybug gives a trashcan lid to Rose, traffic cones to Nino and Alya, a cardboard box to Juleka, and a dustpan and sweeper to Ivan. She creates her own guitar by using a broom and a metal basin.

"Alright everyone, we're all going to sing," Ladybug announces, earning her many confused stares.

"Sing?" Chat Noir asks, landing right next to her. " _That's_ your plan?"

"It's the only way to get through this to get Mylene's fear under control," Ladybug explains. "Care to join us?"

Chat Noir is about to say no, but after remembering that many of his classmates who are on Team Chat Noir are there, he couldn't bring himself to let them down. He didn't want to lose followers to Ladybug. So, he creates a drumset by using pots and pans and trashcan lids, and everyone grins at him approvingly. Chat Noir splits his staff in two to use them as drumsticks, and he makes a quick drum solo, earning him cheers and applause.

"Show off," Ladybug mutters while rolling her eyes, but she says this with a smile on her face. "Alright, does anyone have any song ideas?"

Everyone is silent, until Alya suggests, " _Miraculous_?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir's eyes light up at the name of the song. They never knew how big their fandom was for their fans to create a song just for them.

"Alright, we're signing the chorus all together! Sing as loud as you can!" Ladybug says. "Got it?" When everyone nods, she announces, "One, two, three, four!"

" _Miraculous! Simply the best!  
Up to the test when things go wrong!  
Miraculous! The luckiest!  
The power is on, always so strong!"_

While they're singing, the Horrificator lets out a roar, but noticeably starts to shrink. When it shrinks down to its maximum, it runs into Ivan's arms and snuggles against his chest.

"That's the same button I gave to Mylene," Ivan says, eyeing the black pin with two bones crossed over the other to create an _x_.

"I'll take that," Ladybug says, taking the pin and breaking it between her fingers. When the butterfly black as charcoal flies out of the item, Ladybug catches it with her compact. She releases a butterfly white as pearls instead, and waves goodbye to it as she watches it go. She then takes her guitar strings and throws it into the air, screaming, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

Magic dust flies all around them, making the pink slime disappear and freeing the prisoners from the cocoons. The Horrificator turns back into Mylene, who holds both of Ivan's hands. The two look into each other's eyes before sharing a quick and innocent kiss, which Nino films with a grin. Everyone else sighs happily at the loving couple.

"You know, every time you say you're going to win, you lose," Ladybug laughs at Chat Noir's scowling face.

"I am _so_ going to get so many followers," Alya beams as she continues to film Chat Noir and Ladybug. "Fist bump! Fist bump!"

When all their classmates start chanting for them to fist bump, Ladybug grins up at him and holds her fist out for Chat Noir to pound it. Rolling his eyes while smiling, he whispers to his rival, "Just think of this as thanks for the chocolates."

He bumps his fist with hers, causing everyone in the room to cheer and applaud. Surprisingly, Chat Noir isn't as annoyed as he used to be when it came to fist-bumping Ladybug. He's had a bit of a change of heart since Ladybug got him those chocolates and since she gave him that kiss on the cheek—but he, of course, still remains loyal to Marinette. His hate for his rival is slowly going down, however, and that's a good start, isn't it?

Maybe one day, he'll even consider her a _friend_.

But for now, they're still rivals.

He's smiling at Alya's camera and striking obnoxious poses to block Ladybug from view, and he's flashing a toothy grin at the students around him. He looks around the area, hoping to find familiar blue eyes, when…

"Wait," Chat Noir says with wide eyes. He scans the crowd three times before blurting out, "Where's Marinette?"

Ladybug's face pales.

"My transformation's about to wear off, so I'm heading out! Take care, everyone!" Ladybug exclaims before running off to hide behind a wall. She overhears Chat Noir saying he has to go too when his ring beeps, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.

Ladybug turns back into Marinette, and Tikki flies right into her purse to hide. "There you guys are!" Marinette says as she runs into the room. She places her hands on her knees and pretends to pant heavily while everyone rushes to her side asking where she's been. "I was inside one of the cocoons in the _very_ end of the hall. I was so scared to find myself all alone—I'm so glad you all were here."

"Marinette, you would _not_ believe this—" Alya says, taking her phone out and playing the most recent video. "You _just_ missed Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

"I did?!" Marinette (fake) screams disappointedly. "I missed Chat Noir?!"

"I know you're on Team Chat Noir, so I was so upset not to find you around here," Alya says. "I was really starting to worry."

From the other side of the basement, Adrien's voice could be heard, calling out, "Is anyone in here?"

"Adrien?" Marinette calls out. Adrien suddenly runs into the room with a scared expression on his face, but he lets out a sigh of relief when his eyes land on her. He looked around for Marinette before running to his classmates, and he smiles upon learning that she's safe.

"Dude, where have you been?" Nino asks, putting his camera away.

"I found myself up on the second floor," Adrien explains, pointing up at the basement's second floor. "I couldn't find my way down, so I had to run around the entire railway to find a ladder."

"Oh man, that sucks! You just missed Ladybug and Chat Noir!" Nino says, shaking the phone in his hand.

"I did?!" Adrien (fake) screams disappointedly. "I also overheard you all saying that Marinette was missing, so I kind of ran around looking for her—" Upon realizing what he just said, he turns to see a shocked Marinette, and his face turns bright red. "I-I mean, who else would I argue with if that klutz isn't around?"

"That's right—my days are incomplete without this jerk to fight with," Marinette says, walking up to him. She gives him a rare smile and whispers, "Good thing you're safe."

"Yeah," Adrien nods. "Good thing you're safe, too."

"We are _definitely_ going to win first prize at the Student Short Film Festival tomorrow," Nino says proudly, stopping his recording.

* * *

"We didn't make the cut!" Nino cries the next day, waving his phone in the air angrily. "Mayor Bourgeois said that the monster looked horribly unbelievable—which makes _zero_ sense because Mylene was actually akumatized!"

"Don't worry about it, Nino," Adrien says, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "This is how all good directors start out."

"Yeah, even if that final kiss wasn't what I was hoping," Alya says, smirking at her best friend.

"Keep dreaming," Marinette says. Adrien looks in her direction and gives her a small smile, to which Marinette surprisingly returns.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I always wondered how their classmates didn't realize that Adrien and Marinette weren't there when the Horrificator's cocoons disappeared. And I replaced the _Smelly Wolf_ song with the _Miraculous Ladybug_ theme song just because LOL. Anyways, yay for Marinette developing a _tiny_ soft spot for Adrien after he got her chocolates last chapter! :D

I'm still receiving a few questions about future chapters, so again, I _cannot_ answer them. I _can_ give you all a little treat though— _The Mime_ is an important chapter in this story. Major character development for Adrien/Chat Noir. Surprising, huh?

I'm also getting a few reviews and PM's asking why Adrien didn't answer Marinette's letter last chapter. I can see why it's kind of disappointing, but… Adrien took the letter out of the garbage can LOL. Marinette would be _pretty_ weirded out to find her letter to Chat Noir answered. This would tell her that one, Chat Noir digs in trash cans—two, he knows who she is—and three, it would make no sense because Dark Cupid's arrow just revealed that he hates her. And if Adrien signed the letter, then that would make it look like _he_ digs in her trash, and she'd have to break it down to him like, "…Uh, that letter was for Chat Noir." Ouch. (And as for why I didn't add in the actual poems from the show, they made me cringe so much, so I made Marinette write an actual letter instead LOL).

 **IMPORTANT: I have two ideas on where this story should go, but I'm absolutely torn. PLEASE VOTE ON THE POLL IN MY PROFILE!**

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and your kind reviews! I'm almost at two hundred reviews; I can't believe this is actually happening! Thank you so much! ;w; Don't forget to vote!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 8  
Chat Noir: 6**

 _Next Episode: Darkblade_


	14. Darkblade: Bow Down to Me

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 14_

Darkblade: Bow Down to Me

" _Once again, Ladybug and Chat Noir have saved Parisians from danger."_

"And once again, Marinette is interrupted while she's fixing up her box," Marinette says under her breath as she grabs for her screw-driver nearby.

"What's it for, Marinette?" Tikki asks, flying over to the box Marinette is currently fixing. The box is the shape of a half moon, and its color is bright pink with white polka dots all over. Inside of it is a book of the same shape and pattern, and a little black pen is attached to its cover.

"It's to lock up my diary," Marinette explains as she continues to twist her screwdriver to tighten the grip of his hinges. "This way, _no one_ will be able to read it."

Marinette repeatedly opens and closes the box to check if it works. "But what if they manage to get your diary out of the box?" Tikki asks worriedly. "What if someone finds out you're Ladybug?"

"That's not going to happen," Marinette says confidently. "Try it, Tikki."

The kwami flies into the box and tries to lift up Marinette's diary, but the box closes over her, trapping her inside. Tikki lets out a little squeak, and then proceeds to pound the roof of the box. Laughing, Marinette unlocks the box with a key to free Tikki.

"It works!" she exclaims, holding up her key. "And only this key can open it."

" _Yesterday, Mr. Bourgeois was re-elected as mayor of Paris for fourth consecutive term. Here we see Mr. Bourgeois, with his daughter."_

Marinette looks up at the screen to see Mayor Bourgeois and Chloe on the news. The blonde is waving at the people with (an obviously fake) smile on her face. The camera zooms in on her, and she waves to the camera and flips her long ponytail.

Marinette rolls her eyes. "Ugh, look at Chloe—acting as if she were the mayor of Paris," she scoffs. "Oh, which reminds me, Class Representative Elections are tomorrow!"

"What's so bad about that?" Tikki asks, floating over to Marinette's eye level.

"That means Chloe is running for class rep," Marinette grumbles. "Of course, the one person who cares the least about the students, and the most about herself, is going to be class rep _again_. "

"Why don't you run?" Tikki asks, throwing her little hands up in the air. "I think you'd make a great class representative!"

"Not going to lie, I would, but," Marinette sighs. "Don't you think I've got enough to do with my duties as Ladybug _and_ all my schoolwork? I barely even get some sleep because Chat Noir and I are on patrol late at night."

"Yes, but, if you truly believe in something, you have to try and make it work. It's better to fail trying than not having trying at all," Tikki says encouragingly. "I know you can do it!"

"We'll see if I change my mind…" Marinette sighs.

" _Armand D'Argencourt, one of Bourgeois' opponents and fencing instructors of_ _École secondaire Francoise-Dupont,_ _was pummeled in the polls. In fact, D'Argencourt acquired the_ _least_ _number of votes in all of Paris' History."_

Marinette looks up at the screen in pity. " _That's_ also why I'm kind of scared to run for class rep…" she says. Her eyes trail down to the bottom of the screen, and she screeches at the time. "I'm going to be late for school—again!"

She quickly grabs her school bag and dashes out of her room, hoping to see someone new run for class representative this year.

* * *

Marinette barges into the classroom, panting heavily. "I'm sorry I'm late!" she exclaims as she runs to her seat. "There, uh, th-there was a disturbance." The second she sits down, she asks Alya, "What did I miss?"

"Chloe's running for class rep," Alya tells her. "By the look on people's faces, she's been class rep since when? Kindergarten?"

"Why don't you run as candidate?" Marinette asks with a grin. "You'd make an awesome representative! "

"No can do," Alya shakes her head in disappointment. "I've got my hands full with my two blogs!"

"Alright, I'll give all of you until the end of lunch to decide if you'd like to be a candidate," Mme Bustier tells her class. "Anyone is welcomed to be one. Don't be shy."

* * *

Out in the courtyard, Marinette and Alya watch Chloe go around talking to each of their classmates. By the looks of it, it doesn't seem like anything friendly.

"What is she telling them?" Marinette asks with a glare. "Don't tell me she's threatening them."

"It's _Chloe_ ," Alya says, stressing the blonde's name. "Of course she is."

Shaking her head, Marinette gets up from her seat and walks over to Kim after Chloe's done talking to him. "Hey, Kim," she greets kindly. "What did Chloe say to you this time? She offered to go on a date with you?"

"She already isn't happy that I didn't tag along with her during that whole Horrificator event last week," Kim says with a frown. "Now, she threatened to tell everyone I'm afraid of spiders if I run for candidate."

"I see," Marinette says. She then approaches the scared and sad Rose a few feet away. "Hi, Rose. What did Chloe say to _you_?"

"She told me that if I ran for the election, I'd get kicked out of scrapbooking club," Rose cries. "I _love_ scrapbooking and all the bright colors and stickers and glitter—I'd rather not run for candidate if that's the consequence!"

After nodding her head, Marinette spots Chloe talking to Alix, who's sitting on the stairs. The pink-haired girl rolls her eyes at everything the Queen Bee tells her. When Chloe leaves, Marinette jogs over to her. "Did Chloe threaten you not to run for class representative too?" she asks.

"I wasn't interested in the first place—I couldn't care less about being a candidate," Alix says boredly. "Why don't you run? What's your excuse?"

"I-I'm… busy," Marinette says with a sheepish smile while scratching the back of her head. "I've got my hands full with—"

"Hands full with what—oversleeping?" Alya laughs as she approaches her best friend. "Why don't you just go for it, Marinette? What can Chloe threaten you with anyway?"

"You're right," Marinette says, nodding her head. "I guess I'll run if no one else is… I just don't want Chloe to be class rep again."

After lunchtime, everyone goes back to class, eager to see if anyone would finally step up to Chloe and become a candidate.

"So, any new candidates who would like to run against Chloe and Sabrina?" Mme Bustier asks and nervously looks around the classroom, her eyes almost crying out for someone to raise their hand.

Marinette eyes Kim, who only turns away and whistles innocently. She then looks up at Rose, who's hiding behind her History book. Marinette bites her lip, battling her thoughts.

Mme Bustier sighs, "Given that Chloe and Sabrina are the only candidates, there's no point in voting. So, Chloe and Sabrina—"

" _I'll run_!"

Everyone turns to the person who screamed to see a confident Marinette with her hand raised up high. Chloe shoots a death glare in her direction, but Marinette only ignores her. She's not letting Chloe ruin the school year for everyone again. When a classmate needs help, someone should be able to help them and not brush them off.

Mme Bustier's face lights up. "Wonderful!" she exclaims. "You'll need to develop your campaign and have a speech ready by tomorrow. We'll have the vote then!"

* * *

"Way to go, Marinette!" Rose exclaims.

After class, Marinette's classmates flooded her with thanks and praises for raising her hand. They're all so relieved to have a brave and dependent person go against Chloe—finally, someone who isn't afraid of the blonde's wrath, threats and blackmail. This just goes to show that Marinette cares a lot about her classmates. She's already the better choice.

"Th-thanks, Rose," Marinette laughs. "Thank you, all of you. But it's nothing, really."

"It's _not_ nothing," Nathanael says quietly. When he and Marinette have eye contact, the redhead looks down and tries to fight the burning of his cheeks. "You put all of our happiness before yours. You're very admirable."

"He's right," Kim grins. "Chloe will do whatever it takes to win, but you did this even knowing that!"

Marinette blanches. She didn't even think of that. She's going to have to watch her back.

"When you win, can we get more comfortable chairs?" Rose asks sweetly. Marinette smiles when Rose said _when_ and not _if_. "They're so uncomfortable; I can barely concentrate in class. Maybe pink ones?"

"Oh, I-I don't know if—" Marinette begins.

"And it'd be cool if we could listen to our beats while we study in the library!" Nino exclaims, touching his headphones.

"Oh, uh—"

"And… you know…" Juleka says, shifting nervously in her spot. "Yeah?"

Marinette blinks. "Um, sure, Juleka?" she says uncertainly.

While Marinette continues to be bombarded with questions and suggestions, Alya spots Adrien walking down the stairs.

"Adrien!" Alya calls out. Adrien looks up, and nods at Alya in acknowledgment. The auburn-haired girl points to her best friends and asks, "Marinette can count on your vote, right?"

Adrien smirks. "Do I have another choice?"

Marinette furrows her eyebrows. "What'd you—hey, I was talking to you! _Get back here_!"

* * *

Adrien is fencing against a strong opponent during fencing club. He falls to the floor after being pushed down with incredible force, and his weapon flies out of his hand and way beyond reach. His enemy pokes his chest with the ballpoint top of their sword, and Adrien takes his mask off, accepting his defeat.

"Wow, Mr. D'Argencourt, I've never seen you on fire like this," Adrien says. His fencing opponent takes their mask off to reveal a middle-aged man with a brown mustache and a straight expression on his face. "That was some attack!"

"It ought to be," Mr. D'argencourt says, picking Adrien's sword up with his own. "This particular maneuver was developed by my ancestor, Darkblade."

"Darkblade?" Adrien asks, catching the fencing sword thrown at him.

"In the days of yore, Darkblade conquered Paris and ruled over it with an iron fist, until he was overthrown by a wealthy Frenchman who used his dirty gold to buy the loyalties of the common people," his fencing teacher explains. "To think that not so long ago, my ancestor's flag was waving above Paris…"

"Is that why you ran in the election, Mr. D'Argencourt? To seek _revenge_ on your ancestor's behalf?"

Adrien and his instructor turn around to see Nadja Chamack—Paris' news reporter—with her cameraman following closely behind.

"I beg your pardon?!" Mr. D'Argencourt exclaims, offended.

"Nadja Chamack," she introduces herself. "Don't be bemused, it's just the news! Do you have anything to say about your quote un-quote landslide defeat?"

"Hey, how'd you get in here?!" the school's security guard screams, running towards the news reporter and her cameraman.

While she's being chased away, Mr. D'Argencourt turns to Adrien and says through gritted teeth, "Here ends today's lesson."

In the dressing room, Plagg flies out of Adrien's bag with a nice, gooey slice of Camembert cheese in his hands. "Why the long face, kid?" the kwami asks. "Would a bite of my cheese make you feel better?"

"Mr. D'Argencourt's really upset after losing the election," Adrien frowns. "And he lost just because Mr. Bourgeois is rich."

"You humans and your money," Plagg says, swallowing his cheese whole. "But if I think about it and replace money with Camembert, I can see why he lost."

"I figured you'd make a comparison like that," Adrien sighs, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I just hope he feels better before his negative emotions draw in an aku—" His eyes widen, and he runs right out of the boys' locker room.

Adrien makes it outside in time to find a black-armored knight with a black and crimson sword in hand. "Darkblade! The lord of Paris!" the villain declares. He holds his sword out, and a red streak of lightning flies out of it and into Nadja and her cameraman's eyes. They fall to one knee, and after Darkblade taps both of their shoulders with his sword, they rise and turn into knights. "Thou shalt become my knights! Soon my army shalt be immense and unstoppable! We shall take City Hall by storm and reclaim the throne from Bourgeois the usurper!"

Adrien immediately runs back into the school and transforms right behind the entrance doors. "Time to transform!" he exclaims, punching the air. "PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

When Adrien turns into Chat Noir, he jumps to the roof of his school and watches as Darkblade turns several innocent civilians into knights. He follows the akumatized victim by jumping from one roof to another, and before his army could grow anymore, Chat Noir jumps off the roof and skillfully lands in front of Darkblade.

"The people had their say, and they chose Bourgeois over you, D'Argencourt!" Chat Noir says, taking his staff out and pointing it at him.

"Thy peoples matter not to me. D'Argencourt was defeated, not Darkblade!" the villain says, pointing his sword at the hero.

"I hope you still know how to fence," Chat Noir says, extending his weapon. " _En garde_!"

* * *

"I'm pleased to welcome you all to the official launch of Chloe's electoral campaign," is the first thing Marinette hears when she runs inside City Hall. Mayor Bourgeois continues, "And a special thank you to world-famous popstar Jagged Stone for endorsing her."

Marinette's mouth falls open. "You can't be _serious_ ," she says quietly to herself.

"And, when you vote for me, you'll get free tickets to Jagged Stone's next concert!" Chloe announces. When her eyes land on Marinette, she shoots her a victory smirk and mouths, "You lose." Marinette's shoulders droop—how is she going to beat _this_?

Alya notices the depressing aura flowing out of Marinette, and she approaches her warily. "If you haven't noticed already," she begins. "Battle's on."

"Yeah, I can see that. She's trying to buy student votes with autographs," Marinette says, looking down. While her eyes slowly trail down to the floor, she catches sight of two CD's in Alya's hands. "What… are _those_?"

Alya holds one out for her best friend. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," she apologizes. "If it makes you feel any better, I got you one too."

Marinette doesn't accept the CD and marches right up to her classmates, who are in line for autographed CD's. "Do you realize that you're all being bribed? Concert tickets are awesome, but they aren't going solve classroom problems!"

"What's _your_ campaign, then?" Alix asks, stuffing the signed CD in her bag.

"Well, um, I'm, um, thinking that cushions would be more realistic than buying new chairs," Marinette says, winking at Rose, whose face brightens. "And I'll see about listening to music in the library—through headphones, of course. Also—"

" _Remarkable_." Marinette turns around to find a snickering Chloe standing just a few feet away. "You actually sound like a class rep. Too bad you don't have a chance of winning." Chloe approaches her and says, "A word?"

Marinette follows her and gasps to find her half-moon-shaped box locked between Sabrina's wrist. "Where did you get that?!"

"You don't need to know," Chloe spits. "If you don't pull out of the race, then all your secrets will be revealed."

"Don't—" Marinette pauses. "I mean… what secrets?"

Chloe snorts. "I guess we'll find out as soon as I get my hands on a chainsaw—"

Trumpets suddenly cut her off in the middle of her sentence. Confused, Mayor Bourgeois, Chloe and Marinette and a handful of their classmates crack the door open and poke their heads out to see what's going on outside. A knight with black and crimson armor stands in front of an army of knights in black and emerald green.

One of the green knights walks forward and declares, "Oye, oye! Darkblade shalt speak now! Listen or be imprisoned!"

The crimson knight—Darkblade—pounds his sword against the concrete. "Henceforth, my flag shalt fly over thy kingdom! Bourgeois, pathetic knave, come hether and do battle!"

"What did he say?" Mayor Bourgeois asks.

"Basically," Alya begins. "He's going to bust you up."

Without another word, Mayor Bourgeois slams the City Hall's doors shut. Marinette quickly runs over to the window to see what's going on.

"Bow down to Darkblade, or feel the wrath of mine sword! _Attack_!" Darkblade screams, pointing forward. His army charge at the door, ready to battle, when Chat Noir jumps in front of the army.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette exclaims, eyes lighting up. She wants to transform into Ladybug right at this moment to join her rival, but her classmates are in trouble, and she just can't leave them behind. Not when the knights can barge right through the door any second.

"We meet again, Black Feline," Darkblade says, drawing his sword.

"Yeah, nice to see you again too," Chat Noir says, extending his staff. "I believe we didn't get to finish our match."

"Seize him!" Darkblade commands to his army. The green knights charge at their threat, who takes this as an opportunity to crack a pun.

"Guys, do you only know _heavy metal_?" Chat Noir grins. From her place by the window, Marinette slaps her forehead.

She continues to watch the battle and finds herself watching in amazement as the black cat superhero defeats every knight thrown his way. He flawlessly dodges each one of their attacks and sends a flurry of them flying with just one swipe of his staff. She's never seen him with such skill before—he _must_ know a thing or two about fencing. His perfect stance and swift strikes are what gives it away.

"That was a nice warm-up," Chat Noir says, stretching his arms.

"Allefer!" Darkblade cries, striking his sword at Chat Noir with all his might. The hero manages to block it with his staff, and for a second, they're Adrien and Mr. D'Argencourt fencing in the school's courtyard.

Inside City Hall, everyone is watching the fight through the windows. Jagged Stone perks up when he hears the sound of swords clashing.

"Wait, do I hear the sounds of crazed fans? I can totally get them under control!" Jagged Stone exclaims, grabbing his guitar and dashing out the door.

"Jagged Stone, _no_!" Marinette screams, but it's too late—the rockstar is already out the doors belting out the first song that came to mind. Everyone gasps in fear when Jagged Stone is turned into a green-armored knight.

"What do we do?!" Ivan cries.

"Are we trapped in here?!" Nathanael screams.

"The doors, quickly!" Marinette orders.

Darkblade walks up the stairs with his sword at the ready, saying, "Kneel before thy flag of Darkblade! Bow down before me!" The students push the doors close with all their might, shutting it before the akumatized victim could swing.

"Chloe, what should we do? What would a class rep do?" Rose cries, running up to Chloe, who's hiding behind the front desk counter.

Chloe pokes her head out. "Well, if indeed you vote for me, I'll provide you with an answer," she says. Rose's face brightens up. "—Tomorrow."

Rose's face turns into one of worry. "But we can't wait until tomorrow!"

"Then you're out of luck. You'll have to ask someone else!"

When no one's looking, Marinette runs up the stairs and into the first room on her right. She closes the door behind her gently, and opens up her purse to let Tikki out.

"What are you going to do?" Tikki asks. "The students need you, but you also have an akuma to catch!"

"I know, I'm so conflicted," Marinette says, grabbing the sides of her head.

Tikki flies in front of her eyes and smiles, "Trust your instincts. I know you won't fail either way."

Marinette nods.

She runs to the bottom of the stairs and sees all her classmates cowering in fear as the door is continuously pounded on by the knights.

Marinette puts on a confident face and orders loudly and clearly, "Kim, Ivan, lock the doors! Make sure all the windows are closed too, quickly!" The two strongest boys nod their heads and lose no time following her orders. "Nino, Juleka, Rose, Mylene and Alya, you guys come with me!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Alya says, saluting her best friend. "Now _that's_ a future class representative in the making ( _cough_ ), _Chloe_." The blonde hiding behind the counter frowns at Alya's words and only sinks deeper under the desk.

"We have to barricade the entrance!" Marinette shouts. "It'll break down any second now if we don't!"

Everyone takes whatever they can find—Jagged Stone posters, foldable chairs, the autograph table—and throw it in front of the door. The knights continue pounding on the door, and while her classmates and mayor are scared, Marinette stands brave and confident.

"It's time to retreat!" Marinette says. She turns to the frightened mayor and says, "Sir, we have to get out of here!"

Mayor Bourgeois nods. "This way!" he exclaims, running up the stairs. The students all follow him up the stairs, except for Marinette.

"Marinette, what are you doing?! Come on!" Nino cries. Everyone turns around to look at her, and they're all gesturing for her to come upstairs with them.

"I'll catch up with you guys! I'll make sure all the windows are closed first!" Marinette exclaims. They all nod and continue following the mayor. When they're all out of sight, she opens up her purse and lets her kwami out. "Ready?"

Tikki nods.

"TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

* * *

"Back off, you tin cans!"

Chat Noir is cornered, and knights in green armor surround him with their weapons pointing at him. A ladybug-printed yoyo suddenly wraps itself around his left wrist, and Chat Noir screams as he's being lifted up and pulled into an open window. He rolls on the floor and makes a painful wail when he hits the wall.

His facial expression goes from being confused to annoyed in a split second when his eyes land on Ladybug (that's a new record). "I had them on the ropes," he tells her.

"I know you did," Ladybug laughs.

Chat Noir's eyes widen when he sees a series of knights forming ladders to try to get inside through the open windows. " _Look out_!" he cries, extending his staff to knock them over.

"Thanks," Ladybug says when she sees them all fall over.

"I did it for myself, just to let you know," Chat Noir says, shrinking his staff. He walks over to the window and raises an eyebrow when he sees Darkblade appoint two cars, turning them into catapults. "What?! He can do that?!"

One knight climbs onto each catapult and they're launched at the building. Chat Noir and Ladybug watch boredly as they each smash into the walls.

"Are they aiming for us or the roof?" Chat Noir asks in such an unimpressed, monotonous voice it hardly sounds like a question at all.

Ladybug's eyes widen. "That's it! The _flag_!"

"Tally ho!" Darkblade cries as he's launched to the roof of City Hall. He lands perfectly in front of the flag, and he chops it off with one swing of his sword. "Once thee stripes are suplanted by mine coat of arms, I shalt reign supreme!"

A handful of his army comes marching with a red flag in their arms, which Darkblade plans on putting up to replace the flag of France. Ladybug goes straight to action and flings her yoyo at him, with wraps around his forearm. She makes her way up to the roof by hopping there, and before she could even touch him, Darkblade blocks her with his sword. Ladybug hits the wall and falls between two knights, who grab her by the arms.

"Hey, let me go!" she spits angrily. Ladybug cries out to her rival, "Chat Noir! Use Cataclysm and make this stupid roof crumble."

"No Cataclysm this time," Chat Noir says, making a fighting stance. "I'm beating this guy with skill alone."

"Thou impress me not, villains!" Darkblade announces, holding his red flag up high. "By the blade of darkness, I hereby declare all peoples of this kingdom are henceforth _mine_!" Darkblade plants his flag on the roof, and a huge void of darkness forms in the once clear blue sky. "Bow to thy king—Darkblade!"

The black hole traps the entire city in a circle that continues to grow smaller with each passing second. Anyone touched by the darkness is turned into a green-armored knight brainwashed into serving Darkblade. Chat Noir knows that there isn't a moment to lose, so he extends his staff and goes straight into battle.

"Soon thou shalt join my army, you venomous feline!" Darkblade cackles. He stops laughing maniacally when Chat Noir hits the edge of his sword with his staff.

"I don't think so," he growls, tightening his grip on his weapon. " _En garde_!"

" _En garde_!" Darkblade repeats, getting into a fencing stance.

Darkblade and Chat Noir move around the entire rooftop clashing weapons, and the former yelling out old-fashioned curses whenever he misses. Chat Noir has a smirk on his face the entire time, and Ladybug wants to slap him across the face for being so cocky.

Chat Noir falls backwards when one of Darkblade's sword comes a little _too_ close to slicing his throat. "Surrender now," the akumatized victim begins. "Or shall darkness reign upon thou for all eternity!"

From the corner of his eye, Chat Noir can see the darkness closing in on them, and he's just about to accept defeat, when he briefly remembers Mr. D'Argencourt's special attack earlier that day. Chat Noit rolls out of the way at the last possible second, dodging his opponent's strike. He gets up on his feet and lets out a battle cry when he crashes into his opponent. Darkblade is pushed to the floor and his weapon falls out of his hand, the realization of being defeated by his very own move too hard for him to accept.

"Way to go, Chat Noir!" Ladybug cheers proudly from where she's held prisoner.

Darkblade reaches out for his weapon, but Chat Noir picks it up before he could even lay a finger on it. "Sorry, I need that," Chat Noir grins. He smashes the sword against the wall, sending shards flying everywhere. This makes the circle of darkness fade away, and Chat Noir smiles when the blue sky comes into view.

A butterfly as black as darkness flutters out of the sword, and Chat Noir holds his staff out, which glows green at the tip. He makes a fencing stance and swipes at the insect, trapping it inside the glowing green bubble. There's a flash of bright green that follows, and the butterfly inside fades into one as white as light. He releases the butterfly and pounds the roof with the end of his staff, screaming, "MIRACULOUS CHAT!"

The knights turn back into civilians when the magic dust swirls around them, and Ladybug walks up to her rival when she's released.

"No Lucky Charm and no Cataclysm today," Ladybug says. "You really are amazing, Chat Noir."

"Were you expecting any less from me?" Chat Noir asks, flexing his muscles and striking ridiculous poses. "You should bow down to me as praise for being as _paw_ some as always."

"I take it back," Ladybug rolls her eyes. "You always ruin it."

"Speaking of ruining things, seeing you today just ruined my year, so I'm going to head out," Chat Noir says, flicking her forehead. Ladybug rubs her forehead to soothe the pain, scowling. "Until next time, My Lady."

Chat Noir bows sarcastically, and with one last cocky grin, he backflips off the roof. Eyes wide, Ladybug runs to the edge to see if he's all right, shocked to see that he's nowhere in sight. She smiles and starts walking away when his words finally hit her.

"Wait, _year_?!"

* * *

"So where were you?" Chloe asks snobbishly as Marinette makes herself down the stairs. "Safely hiding under a rock?"

"Very funny, Chloe," Marinette says, rolling her eyes. "I got transformed… into a knight."

Adrien comes running down the stairs after Marinette's claim, and he uses this as the perfect excuse for his disappearance. "So did I!" he exclaims, jumping off the steps. "What a _knight_ mare—"

" _Shut up_!" Marinette screams, making him laugh as he makes his way over to Nino.

"Adrien, your Chat is showing," Plagg says from his place in Adrien's pocket. The blond ignores him and greets Nino once he reaches him.

"Now that this is all over…" Marinette begins softly. Her face then becomes serious and she holds one of her hands out. "I want my personal items back!"

The students all gasp at her claim and surround the guilty blonde, who cowers for being exposed. "I… have no idea what you're talking about!" Chloe says, crossing her arms.

Sabrina suddenly bumps into her and runs up to Marinette, holding her hand out—which is indeed trapped in Marinette's diary box. "Please take it off!" the redhead cries. When Marinette takes her key out and unlocks the box, Sabrina exclaims, "Thank you!"

"Got an explanation, Chloe?" Alya says, taking her phone out to film the guilty.

"I told you, I never took her diary!" Chloe says stubbornly despite already being caught. "And I'm offended that you're accusing me!"

"Then how did you even know my diary was in here?" Marinette smirks. Their classmates all gasp and begin whispering amongst themselves.

In desperation to salvage her vote for class representative, Chloe pulls Sabrina and points an accusing finger at her. "Oh, well, uh… Sabrina told me!" she lies, making the redhead's jaw drop. "It was all her idea!"

No one seems to have bought it—Sabrina wouldn't do anything that low unless she was told to.

"At least now we know no one's going to vote for Chloe," Alya grins at Marinette. "You're going to be our new representative!"

Marinette shakes her head. "Not so fast, Alya," she says.

Overhearing this, Chloe turns around and cackles in her face. "Did you hear that, everyone?" the blonde asks loudly. She points a finger at Marinette, exclaiming, "She's undependable! She's already admitting defeat!"

"No, I'm not! I just want to be voted fairly, not because you don't want to vote for Chloe, but because you believe in me!" Marinette tells her classmates. "I'm not going to make promises that I can't keep, and I'm not going to be able to get you everything that you want. But I am resourceful, and I know how to prioritize. I'm a good listener, and a great multitasker. Representing you all is something I truly believe in. And most importantly, I believe in myself," she finishes confidently. "So… vote for Marinette, for class representative!"

Her speech earns her great applause, and Adrien smiles proudly at her. She'd be a great class representative, he thinks.

He knows who he's voting for.

* * *

"By majority vote, Marinette is the new class representative, and Alya will be her deputy!" Mme Bustier announces excitedly as everyone (minus Chloe and Sabrina) applauds the new class representative and her partner.

"Thank you, everyone! Alya and I will do our best so that all of you can enjoy this school year!" Marinette exclaims while waving a hand.

The applause continues even after the two take their seats, but it quickly dies down when Mme Bustier starts talking about that day's homework. The bell rings after the teacher's quick explanations, and everyone is packing their bags, ready to finally go home and take a rest.

"I think I can confidently say that you two voted for Marinette," Alya says, making Adrien and Nino turn around.

"Of course," Nino says with a grin. " _Anyone's_ better than Chloe—wait, no! I didn't mean it like that!" He waves his hands while blushing madly. "I-I mean, I voted for you because I _trust_ you, Marinette. Not because you were the only other choice! You could've gone against five other people, but I-I'd still vote for you."

Adrien raises an eyebrow at Nino's sudden nervous delivery, but shrugs it off. He turns to Marinette and says, "Well, I only voted for you because Chloe wasn't a better choice."

" _What_?" Marinette shrieks, her right eye twitching. "So, unlike Nino, you didn't choose me because you believe in me?!"

"Bingo," Adrien says, straight-faced. "I mean, really—you're _always_ late to class. Sometimes you only show up halfway through. How can I put my trust into someone like that?"

" _Maybe_ I have other things to do!" Marinette exclaims, raising her voice. He doesn't know how hard the life of a superhero is, that _idiot_.

"Like what?" Adrien scoffs. He counts on his fingers, saying, "I have fencing, piano, Chinese _and_ photoshoots, but I _still_ show up to class in time!"

"Then, why didn't _you_ run for class representative?" Marinette fumes.

"My schedule's packed, unlike _yours_!" Adrien argues. As if on cue, his cellphone lets out a _ding!_ , notifying him that he has a photoshoot that evening.

"I don't have time either!" Marinette screams. Neither of them seemed to have noticed that Alya and Nino left—it became an unspoken tradition of theirs to leave silently when Adrien and Marinette start arguing. They're never in the mood to hear them fight. They just want peace and quiet after a long, tiring day of school. "I'm busy—"

"What—tripping over everything?" Adrien asks, earning him a good hit in the stomach with her backpack. "Ow!"

"And here I thought you changed after that little act of kindness you showed me on Valentine's Day," Marinette huffs, stomping out of the classroom. "It seems it was all just for show!"

Adrien slings his bag over his shoulder and chases after her. The two walk side-by-side on their way out of the school, surprisingly not earning any stares while they walked by screaming their heads off. Everyone knows about that couple that never stop arguing—it's just like any normal day.

"At least I got you something!" Adrien retorts. "What does that make you?!"

"Well, unfortunately for you, I only give chocolates to _kind, good-looking, civilized_ boys!" Marinette harrumphs, making Adrien's mouth drop.

"I'm a _model_!" Adrien exclaims. He knows he shouldn't be so defensive about her words since he _did_ throw a similar phrase at her, but he's still offended nonetheless. "Your claim is invalid!"

"I said _kind_ and _civilized_ too!" Marinette says. "Geez, you focusing on that _good-looking_ part is so expected from you, you conceited jerkface."

" _Hey_!"

"Hey, _what_?!"

Alya and Nino are leaning against one of the walls in the courtyard, not the slightest bit offended when their best friends walk right past them. It's no surprise, after all—whenever they argue, it's like it's just the two of them in the entire world.

"And we're forgotten yet again," Alya chuckles, but the boy next to her doesn't laugh. She notices a slight frown on his face, so with a small smile, she says, "Hey Nino… you down to go get some ice cream with me? I heard this new shop that opened up down the street serves great ice cream at a great price."

Nino doesn't tear his eyes off the couple just yet. But when they disappear beyond the doors of the school entrance, he turns back to Alya and says, "Huh? Oh. Yeah, sure."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** NINO'S CRUSH ON MARINETTE HAS BEGUN. Is Alya aware of his crush? Maybe. Does Adrien know? Nope, but he sure as hell noticed that slight change in Nino's behavior. (Oh, and who caught the Spiderman and Captain America references?)

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO VOTED IN THE POLL! **According to the results, _Rivals_ has the most votes!** This means that Adrien and Marinette will stay rivals up until _Volpina_! However, since both _Awkward Friends_ and _Rivals_ were pretty close in number (four votes!), it gave me a good idea. I'm going to mix those two up, but ultimately keep them as rivals. If you're confused, you'll see what I mean when I post _The Mime_. It's actually supposed to be next, but I'm going to post _Kung Food_ and _The Gamer_ first. c:

As I've said before, I already wrote the epilogue to this story (I think I finished writing it sometime after _Timebreaker_ , but it was planned out after I finished writing _Origins I & II_). And I recently came across a tumblr post that's really similar to how I wanted to end this story. I'm so sad. ;A; I'll keep it the same, but it's just a bit disappointing to those who already came across the post. ;-;

We're more than halfway through this story, so I'd just like to ask you all—up until now, are you on **Team Ladybug** or **Team Chat Noir**?

I say it every chapter, but thank you all so much for the favorites, alerts and the wonderful reviews! The reviews you guys leave me never fail to put a smile on my face! I love you all very much! And shout-out to the lovely **Artemis173** for being the 200th reviewer!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 8  
Chat Noir: 7**

 _Next Episode: Kung Food_


	15. Kung Food: Bad Taste

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 15_

Kung Food: Bad Taste

"Welcome to my home. My name is Marinette."

 _"_ _欢迎来到我的家_ _._ _我的名字是_ _马里内特_ _. (_ _Huānyíng lái dào wǒ de jiā. Wǒ de míngzì shì mǎlǐ nèi tè.)"_

Marinette is in her living room, sitting on the couch as she practices her Chinese. A French-to-Chinese translation application is open on her phone, and all morning, she's been trying to memorize basic Chinese sentences.

She repeats the sentence the robotic voice on her cellphone says, and a frowning face appears over her screen, signifying that she mispronounced it. "This is harder than I thought," Marinette cries. She tries again, and this time, a happy face appears over it. Her face lights up.

"Good job!" Tikki exclaims. "You're not bad for a beginner."

"I'm so nervous! Do you think he'll like them?" Marinette asks as she reaches over her coffee table to grab a bouquet of viola sorbet raspberry flowers.

"Of course they are. They're fine," Tikki says. "Don't worry over the small things!"

"When it comes down to this, I have to. The flowers have to be perfect!" Marinette says, clutching plastic-wrapped bottom of the bouquet. "My mom's uncle is a famous Chinese chef. He's a bit of a perfectionist, so things have to be just right."

 _Ding dong!_

"That's him!" Marinette exclaims and quickly jumbles to her feet. After Tikki flies into her wielder's purse, the black-haired girl clumsily trips over the couch. She quickly composes herself and takes a deep breath, ready to meet her great-uncle. She slowly opens the door to reveal an older, Chinese man in a chef's uniform with a brown bag slung across his chest.

"Uncle Cheng!" Marinette exclaims.

"你好 ( _hello_ )," her great-uncle greets with a wave.

"O-oh, uh, welcome to Marinette's! Wait—no! I have to say it in Mandarin…!" Marinette holds her bouquet of flowers out to him, which he gratefully accepts. With a grin on her face, she tries to say what little Chinese she learned in a short period of time. She mispronounces it completely, however. "Wait, that's not right!" Marinette takes her cellphone out and says a sentence in French so that her translation application can say it for her instead.

While his niece stumbles all over her words, Chef Cheng smells the flowers she gave him and sighs in contentment. He picks petals off of the violas and puts them inside his brown bag, which Marinette noticed.

"I can't believe I have to do this," Marinette groans, tapping the _Translate_ button. When the robotic voice starts talking, she holds her cellphone out for Chef Cheng to hear. Unfortunately, it also translates, "I can't believe I have to do this," into Mandarin, and Marinette quickly closes the app before she could create a misunderstanding.

She opens the door widely and lets her relative in, who calmly makes his way into the living room. While he takes a look around the tidy little house, Marinette closes the entrance door and quickly dials Alya's number.

"Marinette?" Alya answers. "What's up?"

"Alya, you've got to help me!" Marinette cries in a whisper. "I don't know what to do with my mom's uncle. Remember the one I told you about? I don't think I can pull this off!"

"I think I know a way to help you out," Alya says, and Marinette could almost hear the snicker in her voice. "It'll be there in not too long—or more like _he_ will."

With that vague reply, Alya hangs up, leaving Marinette to wonder what exactly her best friend meant by that.

Marinette walks over to the couch and takes a seat on the one adjacent to the couch her great-uncle is sitting on. They sit in silence for a good ten minutes, when the doorbell suddenly rings. Believing that this is the help Alya sent her, Marinette quickly runs over the door and swings it open.

"Hey there, klutz."

" _Adrien_?!" Marinette cries in surprise. "What are you doing here?!"

"Alya paid me to come here," Adrien replies nonchalantly. "You need someone who can speak Chinese, right? Well, lucky for you, I can."

"Wait, wait, wait," Marinette says, waving her hands. "Alya _paid_ you to help me?!"

"Yeah," Adrien says, taking a bill of twenty euros in his hand and waving it in front of her face. Marinette scowls and slaps his hand away. "Don't you understand French?"

"Adrien, you're a _model_ ," Marinette says, emphasizing the word _model_. "You don't need another twenty euros! You get five times more money in one photoshoot."

Adrien shrugs. "It's nice to get a little extra cash."

He lets himself in and pulls on a kind, welcoming smile when Chef Cheng looks his way. He greets him in Chinese, and Marinette only watches as they interact with each other, completely leaving her out. When Chef Cheng is notified that his cab is waiting outside the bakery, they all head out and enter the vehicle to get to the Grand Hotel de Paris, where Marinette's great-uncle will be cooking for a selection of judges.

In the car, Marinette is frowning as she listens to Adrien and Chef Cheng interact. There was a time she knew how to speak and understand Chinese, but when she was entered into a French elementary and high school after that, she completely forgot the language.

"Oh, my French very bad. Not like your Chinese." Marinette's eyes widen at the voice, and she turns to see her great-uncle Cheng smiling at Adrien.

"I thought you couldn't speak French," Adrien says in surprise.

"Me too," Marinette says, sending Adrien somewhat of an apologetic look.

"Oh, no, not good," Chef Cheng says in a heavy accent. "My French not good."

"No, it's good," Marinette smiles.

* * *

"Since our _World's Greatest Chef_ contest kicked off, the best culinary masters from around the globe have been blowing our minds with their gastronomic creations!" Alec, the host, exclaims as Chef Cheng, Adrien and Marinette exit from the car.

Mayor Bourgeois approaches the chef with a wide grin on his face. "Cheng Shifu, I am delighted and honored to have you on our final show, where you will have the chance to defeat all of the chefs who have competed thus far!"

Chef Cheng bows his head in thanks, and follows the mayor into the building with Adrien and Marinette following suit.

Inside the grand hotel, Alec announces, "Only one will be awarded the title of _World's Greatest Chef_. The winner's dish will become the new Mayor's Special on the Grand Paris's menu!" The host turns to Chef Cheng and asks, "Tell us Cheng Shifu, what dish will you be honoring our panel with today?"

Adrien translates Alec's question for the chef, who replies, "My dish is called Celestial Soup."

"I've heard so much about your legendary Celestial Soup, but today we'll actually get to taste it!" Alec exclaims. He then points to the camera and says, "Stay tuned for the judging of Cheng Shifu's dish! You're not going to want to miss it!"

"Would you like me to come with you, Cheng Shifu?" Adrien asks politely.

"No thank you, Adrien," Chef Cheng smiles, shaking his head. "Cooking needs no words."

When he leaves for the kitchen, Marinette walks up to Adrien with a face that reads defeat. "…Thanks," she mumbles, making Adrien smirk. "I'm sorry for bothering you for nothing. I really thought he couldn't speak French."

"And you still haven't changed. You _still_ jump to conclusions," Adrien says, referencing to the day they first met, when Marinette assumed _he_ was the one who stuck gum on her chair. Seeing her glare, he laughs, "I'm kidding. I don't really mind. I _did_ get paid after all, and it's cool to be able to practice my Chinese, especially with a Shifu."

"A Shifu…?" Marinette echoes.

"That means _Master_ in Chinese, idiot," he teases, narrowly dodging Marinette's slap. "Your mom's uncle is a great master."

"Oh, look who it is! My favorite person—Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Marinette lets out a groan before turning around to see Chloe Bourgeois standing in front of her with a snobbish grin on her face. The blonde runs to Adrien's side and hugs his arm. "What are you doing here with _my_ Adrikins?"

"I'm Cheng Shifu's translator," Adrien answers firmly, trying to wiggle his way out of Chloe's grasp. "He's Marinette's great-uncle."

"That _joke_ is your uncle?" Chloe spits, letting go of Adrien's arm to place a hand on her hip. Marinette glares at her for her disrespectful comment. "I mean, seriously? Does he _really_ expect to win the contest with a _soup_? It's not even a main dish! Doesn't he know how to make sushi like everyone else?"

Adrien knits his brows. " _Japanese_ people make sushi, Chloe," he says. "Cheng Shifu is _Chinese_!"

"Same thing," Chloe scoffs.

"No, it's not," Marinette says. "And my great-uncle isn't like everyone else. He's the best chef in the world. His soup is _legendary_!"

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Well, I despise soup," she says.

"So?" Marinette glares.

"Didn't you know?" Chloe laughs obnoxiously. "I'm on the jury. Your uncle won't be getting my vote, that's for sure."

"Well, he doesn't _need_ your vote to win. There are other judges whose taste aren't bad like yours," Marinette says, and then places a hand over her chest, laughing. "Oh, my bad—you have _no_ taste. I mean, you like _Adrien_ after all."

"I heard that!" Adrien glowers.

"You were supposed to!" Marinette yells at him before turning back to Chloe.

"How could you say that when you're on a _date_ with him?!" Chloe screams, clenching her fists. " _I_ should be the one Adrikins is spending the day with!"

"We're _not_ on a date!" Marinette screams. "And you can take him! He doesn't know how to treat a girl right!"

"Who says you're a girl—" Adrien begins.

" _Shut up_ ," Marinette glares. She re-averts her attention to Chloe. "I'm not just going to stand here and listen to you disrespect my great-uncle."

Chloe harrumphs and turns her back on her, flipping her ponytail in Marinette's face in the process. Before disappearing up the stairs, Chloe warns her, "You're going to regret saying that about me."

"Trust me," Marinette says. "I won't."

When Chloe is out of sight, Adrien walks in front of Marinette with his arms crossed. "You didn't have to drag me into that conversation," he glares. His gaze gradually softens, and he tells her, "But I'm going to forget about it this once because I really admired how you defended your uncle. I didn't know you could actually be _nice_. Cheng Shifu would've appreciated that."

Marinette frowns after hearing his last phrase. "Or maybe he wouldn't," she says sadly. "I don't think he likes me very much."

"Who in their right mind would?" Adrien jokes.

Marinette glares at him. "I'm being serious, you jerk," she says through gritted teeth. "He even ripped up the bouquet I gave him."

"Cheng Shifu isn't just a chef, Marinette—he's an artist," Adrien says, making her look up at him hopefully. "He told me he was going to put flowers in his Celestial Soup. He said he improvises on faithful things that come his way. The flowers he mentioned must be the ones you gave him. Viola sorbet raspberry flowers _are_ edible—so good choice."

"So, you think he actually likes me?" Marinette asks with a small smile. Adrien's heart flips at the sight of her smile—she rarely ever smiles at him, so he memorizes it before it turns into a scowl.

"I _know_ he does," Adrien assures her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He's shown you great respect in his own special way."

Marinette smiles at him, but it quickly drops when she realizes that his hand is on her shoulder.

"Hand _off_."

"Right."

* * *

"Welcome back!" Alec exclaims at the camera. "As usual, our panel of gourmets is made up of André Bourgeois, the mayor of Paris and owner of this luxury hotel, his daughter Chloe, representing the younger generation, rockstar Jagged Stone, and finally, the divine head chef of this very hotel, Marlena Cesaire, and yours truly—Alec! It's time to determine the fate of Cheng Shifu's famous Celestial Soup. Let's get tasting!"

Each judge takes a spoonful of the violet-colored soup as Chef Cheng leans in, eager to hear their responses.

Alec suddenly spits out the soup. "What _is_ this?!" he cries, making Chef Cheng, Adrien and Marinette gasp.

"Uh, I don't think this soup would fare well with our guests," Mayor Bourgeois says in the politest way possible. "I'll give it a three on ten."

"Seeing as it's pretty unappetizing, maybe I'll pass on the tasting," Chloe says, pushing the bowl away from her. "I'll give it a zero!"

Jagged Stone gags. "Rancid!" he cries. "It's like kissing XY! Negative zero!"

"I'm sorry, but it's inedible," Marlena Cesaire says apologetically. "I give it a one on ten."

"But this cannot be," Chef Cheng says, walking up to Chloe's bowl of soup. He takes her coup and takes a sip of his broth, only to spit it out. "I don't understand. I never put these ingredients in. It's a mistake. Someone sabotaged soup!"

While the judges exchange worried looks upon hearing this claim, Marinette catches the smug smile on Chloe's face, and glares daggers at the blonde.

"I'm sorry, Cheng Shifu, but I'm giving you a zero too, which brings your score to zero point eight on ten—the lowest ranking so far," Alec says apologetically. "Your Celestial Soup will therefore _not_ be in the hotel's menu this year, and you will not be named _World's Greatest Chef_!"

When Alec announces a quick goodbye at the camera, Marinette spots a purple flower petal fly off Chloe when the blonde stands up from her seat. Marinette rushes over to it when the camera crew leaves, and picks it up to inspect it.

"It's a viola sorbet raspberry petal! I _knew_ something wasn't right, "Marinette says when Adrien approaches her. " _Chloe_ 's the one who sabotaged my uncle's soup!"

"I'd like to say you're wrong, but I know her only too well," Adrien says.

Marinette runs up to her disheartened relative. "Uncle Cheng? I'm sure it's not your fault. In fact, I know it's not. I'm pretty sure Chloe's behind all this," she says, and her shoulders droop guiltily. "It was actually because of me. I provoked her, and—"

"Shame is on Celestial Soup. I shall never be _World's Greatest Chef_ ," Chef Cheng says sadly, walking back into the kitchen to pack up his ingredients.

"Uncle Cheng—" Marinette says, holding her hand out.

"I think it's best we leave him alone," Adrien interrupts. Marinette merely nods and walks off with him, her head hung low.

Downstairs, Adrien and Marinette wait for Chef Cheng to come down in silence. The quit is unbearable, Adrien discovers, but he knows better than to start an argument when Marinette is feeling down. He doesn't say a word, and looks down at his shoes, just waiting for the time to pass.

"Get out! Hurry! Get out while you still can!"

Adrien and Marinette look up to see a cameraman being chased like little, flying objects. One of them stops in front of Adrien and Marinette, and projects a screen, revealing a golden-haired _creature_ wearing a chef's hat.

"Not polite to leave table without permission. Cut off all exits!" the villain commands.

" _Uncle Cheng_?!" Marinette cries.

Adrien and Marinette watch as brownish liquid droops down the windows and doors. The blond attempts to push the door open, but to no avail. Some of the goo floods through the cracks of the door, and Adrien sticks his finger in the liquid. He smells it and states, "It's caramel."

"Caramel?" Marinette asks, running over to him. "It looks indestructible."

"It's probably hardened by now, so looks like we're trapped in here," Adrien says.

"Wonderful," Marinette says flatly. "It's always been a dream of mine to get trapped somewhere with you."

"Right," Adrien rolls his eyes, running towards the stairs. "You stay here, and I'll try to look for a way out."

"Fine by me," Marinette says. "Just as long as we're far away from each other as possible."

"Keep talking and maybe I _won't_ come back for you," Adrien says, eyebrows furrowed.

"Just go," Marinette says, and Adrien nods and disappears up the stairs. The second he's out of sight, Marinette hides behind the front desk counter and lets Tikki out of her purse. "I never should have riled up Chloe! This is all my fault!"

"You can fix this, Marinette," Tikki says encouragingly. "Let's go save your uncle!"

Marinette nods. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

The moment her transformation is complete, Ladybug hears hurried footsteps and a worried voice calling out, "Marinette?! Where are you?!"

Eyes wide, Ladybug pokes her head out to see Chat Noir looking around worriedly. "Chat Noir?" she asks, making her rival turn around.

Chat Noir's face shows relief at first, but it contorts into a scowl when his eyes fall on her. Ladybug frowns at his change of attitude. "It's just you," he says rudely. "Where's Marinette? Did you see her?"

"Marinette's fine. She's hiding with all the other hotel guests," Ladybug explains, walking up to him. "How did you know she was in here?"

"A boy named Adrien or something bumped into me while turning the corner," Chat Noir explains. "He's safely hidden in one of the suite's room, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Who says I was worried…" Ladybug mutters under her breath. "Alright, come on. Marinette's uncle has been akumatized, we—"

"Don't say it," Chat Noir says, holding a hand up. " _One of us_ has to save him. That's what you're supposed to say."

Ladybug rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say," she says, running towards the elevator. "The elevator will help us get there faster."

"Alright," Chat Noir says, running to her side. He presses the elevator button, groaning when it doesn't light up. "Don't tell me it's jammed. I'm _not_ walking up all those stairs—"

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" said heroes turn around to face another projector. The akumatized victim exclaims, "You soon have privilege to be ingredients in Kung Food's soup. But first—you taste my special of the day!"

The elevator doors suddenly open up to reveal Jagged Stone carrying a sword made out of different types of seafood. "Seafood appetizers," the rockstar grins, swinging his sword at them. Chat Noir and Ladybug dodge the attack by jumping backwards.

"This _scampi_ happening," Chat Noir says with a straight face, his pun making Ladybug facepalm. "Let's see if you can carry a _tuna_." Jagged Stone jumps at them and blindly swings his sword, to which both superheroes flawlessly dodge.

"That's not very rock and roll of you, Jagged Stone," Chat Noir says, performing a backflip to move out of the way from getting hit.

"Rock is one thing, soup is another," he shrugs, making a fighting stance. "When I'm done with you, you'll be nothing but minced meat!"

Jagged Stone runs towards Chat Noir with his weapon at the ready, but Ladybug wraps her yoyo around his leg. She pulls on it and sends him flying into an open closet door, to which Chat Noir swings shut. He quickly slides a loveseat in front of it to block Jagged Stone from escaping, and dusts his hands.

"Good job to me," Chat Noir says, grinning.

"Yeah, yeah," Ladybug rolls her eyes. "Now, come on. There's no time to lose—Chloe might just be the main dish."

They run into the open elevator and press the button of the highest floor of the building. Chat Noir leans against the wall with his eyes shut and arms crossed, while Ladybug shifts from foot to foot, casting quick glances at him every now and then. The elevator ride is silent, which Ladybug finds terribly unbearable. She's about to strike up a conversation when the elevator suddenly halts to a stop, knocking her right off her feet. Chat Noir remains planted in his spot, unmoving.

"Klutz," he coughs.

"Jerk," Ladybug glares, getting back up on her feet.

The elevator doors suddenly slide open to reveal Mayor Bourgeois standing in the middle of the hallway with a rope made out of sausages in hand.

"Royal hotpot with its giant string of smoked sausages!" the mayor exclaims, swinging his weapon around.

"Looks like he's asking for a food fight," Chat Noir says, taking his staff out. With weapons in hand, the two rivals charge at the villain, only to get their ankles wrapped around the mayor's rope. He flings them into a hotel room, where crash to the floor.

"Welcome to the world famous Suite 36 of this hotel," Mayor Bourgeois presents. He whips his weapon at them, successfully wrapping it around Chat Noir's wrist. He pulls on the linked sausages, jerking the superhero forward.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug cries.

"Now, for the finishing touch…" the mayor grins. He tries to show off by twirling his weapon around, but he displays a look of shock when it gets tangled with the chandelier hanging above his head. He pulls on the sausage rope with all his might, causing it to crash down on him and causing the rope to wrap around him.

Ladybug and Chat Noir stare at him with blank expressions on their faces.

"…Uh, thanks?" Ladybug says. She then looks up and points at the hole in the ceiling. "Let's head up!"

Once on the floor above, the superheroes are met with another projected message from Kung Food. "Kung Food is generous. No need to choose between cheese and dessert, you get to have both!" he exclaims.

The elevator slides open, and Alec and Marlena walk out of it with weapons in hand. While Alec carries a shotgun made out of cheese, Marlena has a bow and arrows made out of pastries.

"Watch the spectacular demonstration of the famous thousand flying cakes!" Alec announces as his partner shoots arrows at Ladybug, who runs off to dodge them. "Our guests seem to have a few tricks up their sleeve, but how will they fare against the blinding stinging cheese bombs!"

Alec shoots a block of cheese in Chat Noir's direction, how hits it with his staff as if he were hitting a ball with a baseball bat. The cheese explodes, and Chat Noir gags at the horrible stench. "And I thought Camembert smelled bad," he says, plugging his nose.

Alec is about to shoot another block at Chat Noir, when Ladybug runs into him. She gives him a grin before jumping out of the way, making him get shot by one of Marlena's arrows. The host accidentally pulls on the trigger of his gun, sending a cheese bomb at his partner, which explodes upon contact with her stomach. Alec is on the floor wincing in pain, while Marlena's eyes water at the smell of the cheese explosion.

"Round two?" Ladybug asks her rival.

"You're on," Chat Noir nods as they both run into the elevator.

When the elevator doors slide open to reveal the roof of the Grand Hotel de Paris, Chat Noir and Ladybug see Chloe slowly getting reeled into the soup. Chat Noir immediately throws his staff at the rope keeping her tied, cutting it. Ladybug catches Chloe before she could fall into the soup, bringing her back to safety.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" Chloe exclaims, and the two heroes think she's going to say something kind for once. Unfortunately, they were wrong. "What took you guys so long!? Just wait until I tell everyone—"

Straight-faced, Ladybug drops Chloe. "Oops. My bad," she snarls. Ladybug watches in jealousy as Chat Noir helps Chloe up. He instructs her to hide, and the blonde nods before running off.

"Now, my Brat Soup will be so flavorless!" Kung Food growls. "You will pay!"

"I know you're more honorable than this, Cheng Shifu!" Ladybug cries desperately.

"I am not Cheng Shifu, I am Kung Food—the Greatest Chef in the World! And nobody will stop me from finishing my Brat Soup!" Kung Food announces, digging his hand in his bag. He takes out two daggers made out of food and fights with Ladybug, who manages to kick them both out of his grasp.

Growling, Kung Food reaches into his brown bag and takes out a staff made of pretzel to go against Chat Noir's weapon. "I'm guessing your akuma's in your chef's hat," Chat Noir grins, ready to grab it when he manages to split the villain's pretzel staff in two. Before he could snatch his hat away from him, however, Kung Food dips his hand inside his bag and blows red chili powder in his face.

"What the heck is this?!" Chat Noir says, eyes watering. "It burns!"

"Not fan of spicy food?" Kung Food grins. "Now, for Ladybug…"

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug exclaims, throwing her yoyo in the air. A transaction machine with a completed cheque printed out falls into her hands. "…A bill? What am I supposed to do with this?"

"You think you can beat me with a piece of paper?" Kung Food cackles.

"You're the one to talk," Chat Noir snickers. "You're trying to defeat us with cheese and macarons."

Growling, Kung Food digs his hand in his bag and pulls out an enormous buster sword made entirely of pizza. "How about this for a change?" he screams, charging at the two heroes. Ladybug jumps onto his sword and starts running towards him, but the akumatized victim throws his weapon upwards, sending her flying into the air. She lands on top of one of the tanning chairs in surprise.

"Now's not the time to be relaxing, _Bugaboo_ ," Chat Noir says, clashing his staff with Kung Food's pizza sword.

"Don't call me that!" Ladybug fumes as she gets up from her seat to scan the area. After memorizing the black and red-printed pattern, Ladybug runs over to the pool filled with thick, bubbling broth. She pulls on the bill, stretching it out, and dips it into the broth, turning it solid and almost impossible to rip.

"Looks like your bill's coming," Chat Noir winks at Kung Food, who stares at him in confusion. The villain suddenly finds himself wrapped with paper, and Chat Noir trips him with his staff, making him fall to the floor. Kung Food's hat falls off his head and lands right in front of Ladybug, who picks it up and rips it.

Ladybug twirls her yoyo around and captures the black butterfly that flew out of that akumatized item. "Bye bye, little butterfly," Ladybug and Chat Noir say in unison when a white butterfly flutters out of her compact. The latter said it in a teasing tone, making Ladybug gnash her teeth in anger. She picks her Lucky Charm with an iron grip and throws it into the air, screaming, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

As the sparkling dust from her Lucky Charm travels around them, Ladybug approaches her grumbling rival. "You know, if we worked together, our points could be equal," she says hopefully.

Chat Noir scoffs. "Not happening."

"I thought you'd say that," she sighs. Seeing the restored chef's hat on the floor, Ladybug picks it up and walks over to her confused uncle. "I believe this belongs to you." She smiles, and hands it to her great-uncle, who automatically thanks her in Chinese.

"Why don't you head on downstairs and remake your Celestial Soup?" Chat Noir suggests, and Chef Cheng nods with a smile.

* * *

"Could you teach me how to make Celestial Soup, Uncle Cheng?" Marinette asks, walking up to him with a fresh bouquet of viola sorbet raspberry flowers. She, Adrien and Chef Cheng are inside the hotel's kitchen, the last preparing another round of Celestial Soup.

"With pleasure, Marinette," her great-uncle answers, sprinkling petals into his broth.

"Seriously? Still making soup?" All three turn at the sound of the shrill voice to see Chloe standing at the door. "I told you I hate soup! You think the jury is going to approve of this?"

"Didn't your father kick you off the jury?" Adrien asks, crossing his arms. When Chloe fumbles with her words, he adds, "I think Cheng Shifu and Marinette have got this covered. Why don't we let the real jury decide?"

Chloe lets out a cry of anger and childishly storms off.

Chef Cheng finishes the dish in no time, and Marinette memorizes every single ingredient her great-uncle put into the soup. They make their way over to the filming area, where the judges are served with their own bowl of Celestial Soup. The dish is well-received, granting Chef Cheng a perfect score of ten on ten.

"Cheng Shifu's delicious Celestial Soup has received the highest marks overall, thus making him the final winner!" Alec announces happily.

"And it will soon be the Mayor's Special on the restaurant menu of my prestigious hotel!" Mayor Bourgeois exclaims, finishing up his bowl of soup.

"Thank you, but no longer Celestial Soup," Chef Cheng smiles. "Now called _Marinette_ Soup." Marinette's eyes widen at the name. When her uncle's eyes land on her, she smiles and thanks him in Chinese.

"Come over here and stand alongside your uncle, the _World's Greatest Chef_!" Alec exclaims, gesturing for Marinette to come over to them. Marinette grins and makes her way over to her relative, and hugs him once she does.

When the show ends and the camera crew leaves, Chef Cheng is bombarded by his fans, who ask for pictures and autographs.

Marinette happily watches her uncle from a distance with a smile on her face, which instantly disappears when Adrien pokes the side of her head. She turns to him angrily, placing a hand over the spot her poked.

"What do you want?" Marinette asks in a low growl.

Adrien puts his hands up in defense. "Relax," he smirks. "I just wanted to say I'm heading out. I think I've suffered enough for the day. I _was_ with you after all."

"Shut up," Marinette says. She takes a quick glance at her uncle, and then looks up at Adrien. "…Thanks," she mumbles quietly.

"What was that?" Adrien grins, leaning in and cupping his ear with his hand. "Say that again?"

" _Thank. You_ ," Marinette says through gritted teeth.

"Who knew you could actually be nice?" Adrien smirks. He shoves his hands in his pockets and starts walking towards the exit. "See you, klutz."

"Forget what I said, I take it back!" Marinette shouts after him, and Adrien only laughs in response. When his figure disappears beyond the doors, Marinette takes her phone out and immediately texts Alya.

 _I hate you._

She receives a text message seconds later.

 _love ya ;)_

* * *

"So, how was your day with Adrien?"

"What do you think?"

Late in the evening, Marinette is sitting on her bed while video-chatting with Alya. She called her best friend to tell her about what happened throughout the day (minus the whole Ladybug and Chat Noir thing, of course).

"You could've at least told me you were going to send _him_ ," Marinette glowers. "I already see him _everywhere_ —literally. His stupid face is all over Paris; billboards, bus stops, magazine covers. I didn't need to see him in person too."

Alya scratches the back of her head. "Sorry, Marinette," she says, smiling apologetically.

"No, you're not," Marinette says flatly, and Alya laughs because she's right. "I hope you regret giving him those twenty euros."

"…What twenty euros?" Alya asks, displaying a look of confusion.

"You know," Marinette begins, making hand gestures. "The twenty euros you paid him so that he'd get over here?"

"I didn't pay him anything," Alya blinks, shaking her head. "All I did was text him. I asked him if he was free today, and when he said yes, I asked him if he could help you out with your uncle because he's the only person we both know who can speak Chinese. He said yes and well… that's it. I didn't even see him today, how could I have paid him?"

Marinette stopped listening halfway through her best friend's explanation because Adrien came _willingly_. Alya didn't pay him or threaten him—he came out of his own free will despite how busy his schedule is. Since he was able to spend the entire day with her, today was probably his first day off in a long time.

She fails to hear Alya call her name three times, and it's at the fifth time she does when Marinette finally hears her.

"Are you all right?" Alya asks. "Hm, I think I'm going to ask Adrien what he meant by—"

" _No_!" Marinette screams almost too quickly. Seeing the confusion in her best friend's face, she laughs nervously. "I-I think I just misheard. He probably said something like _I should get paid for having to spend the entire day with you_. My bad."

Alya laughs. "That sounds more like him."

Marinette saved him from the interrogation Alya would inevitably throw at him because he helped her with her uncle. She really should be asking herself why he would lie about being forced to see her or why would he want to spend his only day off with someone he hates, but there's one thought that pushes itself past all the others.

"He owes me big time."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Adrien lied about getting paid and I'm screaming.

 _The Gamer_ is next! ARE YOU READY FOR THE MARICHAT? I keep getting reviews asking when the next MariChat chapter is or if I can add more MariChat, and I'm trying to add as much as I can. It's not very easy, since I do have to stay true to the episodes, but I'll try my best!

Thank you all so much for the favorites, alerts and reviews! ;w;

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 9  
Chat Noir: 7**

 _Next Episode: The Gamer_


	16. The Gamer: Two Player

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 16_

The Gamer: Two Player

"Is that what I think it is?" Marinette asks herself out loud. She's standing in front of the door of the library, wondering just why the music playing on the other side sounds so familiar. Marinette is supposed to meet Alya inside so that they could work on their assignment together, but by the sound of the cheers and music and sound effects playing on the other side, she doesn't think that they'll be getting much work done.

Marinette finally grabs the doorknob and twists it, slowly opening the door to take a peek inside. She opens it wider when she spots her classmates all standing by, while two people are playing a popular video game— _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_.

"No way!" Marinette exclaims, making her classmates (minus the two who are currently playing) all turn around to shush her. They turn their heads back to the screen and continue cheering for the players.

Marinette catches Alya in the crowd filming the tournament, and she approaches her quietly. "Alya, what's happening here exact—"

" _Sh_!" Alya shushes her. "I have to film this for my vlog!"

Rose approaches Marinette and answers for her instead. "Today's the try-outs for the Paris _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_ Tournament! The school sends the two students with the highest scores to compete against other schools!"

"Actually," Kim grins, placing an elbow on Marinette's shoulder and leaning against it. "The try-outs offer a partner to team up with Max in the tournament."

"Why Max?" Marinette asks, looking ahead to see who the two competitors are. Max is indeed playing, but next to him is Adrien. For some reason, her face doesn't break into a scowl like it usually does—it might be because he _did_ help her out with her great-uncle after all (and he _did_ help her out willingly). She feels he deserves at least a bit of kindness.

"Because Max is unbeatable!" Kim exclaims, his loud and boisterous voice startling her. "He's got the highest score so far. I'm not surprised though—he's been training for this tournament all year long."

" _No_!"

Kim and Marinette turn at the sound of the voice to see Max's bot _2TO_ crushed and defeated. Adrien's bot, _NAD3_ , absorbs his power—thus making him the winner and beating Max's high score. While everyone applauds for the new winner, Max tightens his grip on his controller in absolute frustration that one would think he'd crush it between his fingers. Adrien turns to look at Max with a smile on his face, but his face contorts in worry at the sight of the disappointed boy.

Accepting his defeat with a heavy heart, Max forces a smile and holds his hand out. "Good job, Adrien," he says. "We'll be undefeatable."

Adrien nods and shakes Max's hand. "Let's do our best."

"So let me get this straight," Marinette begins, her voice catching Adrien's attention. He turns around and sees her, his lips automatically forming a smile. There was no doubt in his mind that she saw his gaming skills. (He wonders if she's even the tiniest bit impressed). She continues, "If someone manages to beat Max's score, they'll represent our school at the tournament?"

"That's right," Kim answers. "But do you really think anyone can beat Max and Adrien? They're the dream team."

"Dream team, huh…" Marinette says. "Can I give it a try? I bet you I'm better than Adrien."

Adrien's eye twitches. She always chose to pick on him. He's not even provoking her—heck, he didn't even speak _a word_ to her since she got here. And yet, she _still_ has to throw knives at him.

"Don't even try," Adrien says through gritted teeth, catching her attention, and making all his classmates fall silent. "You wouldn't even get on the board."

"You want to bet?!" Marinette thunders, stomping over to him. She holds her hand out and orders, "Give me your controller."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Adrien mocks, handing it over to her. "Don't drop it, klutz." He walks away just in time to dodge her slap.

"The library is closing in five minutes, so this will decide who are going to be competing in the gaming competition," Mr. Damocles announces.

"The rules are elementary," Max begins. "You battle each other's robots with your own and—"

"Every time you win, you loot its items and gain EXP, which upgrades your mech," Marinette finishes. "Don't think I've never played this game before." Marinette has a brief flashback of her and her father playing the game in their living room—and not to blow her own horn, she's pretty freaking good.

"Sounds like you have a sufficient amount of knowledge," Max says, grasping his controller. "Let's see if it's enough to beat me."

The words _Pick your Bot_ appear onscreen, and while Max picks _2TO_ again, Marinette goes with _LB-03_.

 _Ready… Set… FIGHT!_

Max decides to make the first move, but Marinette dodges it by making her bot jump upwards, hitting Max's over the head when it lands. While Max button mashes randomly, Marinette makes quick and specific button combinations, shooting him down with combos and fatalities.

Marinette's bot is at ninety-three HP, and Max's is unfortunately at only fourteen. The boy starts panicking and internally screaming with rage, while Marinette keeps a competitive look on because there's no way she's letting Adrien have the last laugh.

"And now, a quarter super plus heavy kick, and flying hyper storm. Triple head combo…" Marinette mutters under her breath, making her bot perform said actions. "And— _there_."

The whole class falls dead silent when Marinette's bot _pulverizes_ Max's. Her name flashes on the screen, and her score rolls up the screen— _30,000 points_ , beating Adrien's _25,000_.

"No… _way_ ," Alya grins, and begins cheering for her best friend. The entire class cheers for Marinette, who smirks in Adrien's direction.

"I accept this defeat," Max says in disappointment. "I relinquish my position at the tournament. Congratulations, Marinette… and Adrien." Max gets up from his seat and walks towards the exit of the library, head hung low.

"Max—" Kim begins.

"Look, I'm fine," Max says, not turning away from the floor. "I lost fair and square. But if you don't mind, I'd like a little bit of solitude."

"So, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste will represent École Francoise-Dupont at the Paris _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_ Tournament," Mr. Damocles announces. "Good luck to both of you. Be sure to practice gaming together before the big day!"

Marinette freezes. She slowly turns her head to face Adrien, who slaps his forehead when she catches his eye.

* * *

"I," Marinette begins. "Am an _idiot_."

Marinette is sitting on the chair in front of her computer with her face buried in her hands. She was so caught up with beating Adrien that she didn't even _think_ about the consequences of her actions. First of all, she now has to spend the rest of her day with that freaking jerk, and second of all, she stole Max's place. The boy has been practicing for so long just to play in the tournament, and now he won't get to because of her short temper.

"Marinette, you know very well it's your fault for insulting Adrien in the first place," Tikki says crossly. "You hate it when Chat Noir does it to you, but you do it to Adrien. You're being very hypocritical."

"I'm not a hypocrite!" Marinette cries, and Tikki gives her a look. "Okay, fine. Maybe I am, but… it just became a habit… I guess…"

"And it was very insensitive of you to take Max's place," Tikki scolds, and Marinette looks down guiltily. "You _know_ how much Max wanted to be in that tournament. Kim said he's been training for it all year."

"I'm sorry…" Marinette says. "I didn't mean to take his place."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Tikki says.

 _Ding dong!_

"That must be Adrien," Marinette groans, preparing the video game on her computer screen. While the controllers are connecting, she whispers, "Hide, Tikki." The ladybug kwami nods and flies into her wielder's purse, not very excited for the incoming insults and arguments she's going to be hearing for the next five-or-more hours.

"Marinette!" her mother calls out from downstairs. "Someone's here to see you!"

"Coming!" Marinette calls out to her, waiting for the controllers to connect. "Let's just get this over with before my guilt consumes me…"

* * *

"Marinette and I are finalists in the Paris _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_ tournament," Adrien answers politely when Marinette's parents ask him why he's come over. "The game requires team effort, so we decided to practice fighting our characters together."

"Ah, _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_. She's good, isn't she?" Tom asks with a proud look on his face. "She learned from the best after all."

"Marinette never told us about this tournament," Sabine says, tilting her head to the side—an action Adrien has seen Marinette do plenty of times. (Not that he noticed).

"The try-outs were today. We've just been paired up together," Adrien says. "I hope it's all right that I stay here to train."

"Of course, of course! It's no trouble at all," Sabine says kindly. "So, you two are a pair, huh?" Adrien sees a glint in the Asian woman's eyes, and he feels his ears burn.

"It's nothing like that, mom," a voice cuts in. Tom, Sabine and Adrien turn to see Marinette standing on the stairs with her arms crossed. "Come on upstairs, jer— _Adrien_."

"I caught that," Adrien mouths to her when her parents aren't looking. When Tom and Sabine look back at him, he gives them a smile and says, "It was nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you too, Adrien," Tom says. Both parents watch Adrien follow Marinette up into her room with grins on their faces. Tom turns to his wife and says, "I approve."

* * *

"I did _not_ think this through."

"Clearly."

Adrien and Marinette are sitting on the chairs in front of the former's computer, both glaring at each other so intensely that one could probably see streaks of lightning going back and forth between their eyes.

"Now, I have to spend the entire day with _you_ ," Marinette says through gritted teeth. "This was _not_ how I was planning my day to go."

"Hey, you brought this upon yourself," Adrien says.

"We wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't provoked me!"

"It's not _my_ fault you get worked up so easily! And actually, _you_ started it—do you _always_ have to say something bad about me every time?" Adrien asks. "Come on, let's just get this over with."

"My thoughts exactly," Marinette says, reaching for her controller at the same time as Adrien. Their hands touch, and they both retreat as if they were burned. "Sorry."

"Sorry," Adrien apologizes, reaching for his controller with burning cheeks.

They begin the first round against a CPU in silence, and Adrien sneaks a few glances at Marinette every now and then. When Marinette catches him, Adrien coughs and strikes up a conversation to hide his embarrassment.

"Your parents seem nice," he says as he manages to block their enemy's combo.

Marinette clicks her tongue when her bot gets hit. "They are," she says. "But sometimes they could be a little—"

"Is everything going good?" Marinette groans and pauses the game before turning around. Adrien copies her action to see her father in the trap door holding a tray full of fresh croissants. Adrien's eyes sparkle and his mouth waters at the smell of the freshly-baked goods. "I thought just in case you wanted something to eat…"

"No thanks, papa," Marinette says, giving him a look. "We're fine."

"Are you sure?" Tom asks, extending his arms. "They're really good!"

"Maybe later," Marinette says, and Tom nods and disappears beyond the trap door. Adrien feels as though he's about to cry, but he decides to just wait for the next time Tom comes around. "As I was saying—they could be a little _nosy_."

Marinette hears her trap door creak open, and she turns to glare at her parents, who are peaking into her room. They shut the door when they see Adrien turn his head, and luckily, he didn't see them.

Marinette un-pauses the game, and she and Adrien work together to defeat their opponent. Instead of performing separate combos, she and Adrien's bots combine powers, ultimately beating their enemy.

"We won!" Adrien exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air. He puts his controller down and points his thumb to his face. "Thanks to me, of course."

"What?!" Marinette screeches with a scowl, and Adrien laughs at her reaction.

"Relax, I'm just messing with you," he says. Adrien smiles sadly, saying, "You're amazing, Marinette. You don't even need me to win. I'm so lame compared to you."

Marinette frowns at the blond's sudden display of insecurity. "Adrien…" she begins. She's about to add something, when her trap door swings open.

"Does anyone want cookies?" comes Tom's loud and excited voice. "Baked fresh from the oven!"

"Papa, we're trying to work here," Marinette says sternly, making her father pout before disappearing behind her door. Adrien cries internally when his second chance to grab a snack leaves. Marinette looks at Adrien, and for the first time in so long, she gives him a sincere smile. "You're not bad, Adrien. Really, you're not. I'm just really good at this game because I've been playing it almost every day since I got it. With a bit more practice, you might even be twice as good as me."

"You think so?" Adrien asks with a hopeful smile, and Marinette nods. "Hm. I'll be sure to practice then, and I'll challenge you to a round. Loser buys the winner lunch?" Adrien's eyes widen when his words escape his lips. "Wait… no—"

"…Adrien," Marinette begins slowly, making his heart stop. Adrien looks into her blue eyes, not even realizing just how close they are to each other. "Did you just—"

"Would either of you like a delicious salmon and spinach pie?" Sabine voice cuts in, making them both turn away from each other in embarrassment. Tom and Sabine are at the trap door, the latter holding a freshly-baked pie in her hands. Tom just stands there with a smile too wide for his face. "You can tell me what you think of it?"

"A little snack wouldn't hurt, would it?" Adrien quickly says, and Marinette nods her head, cheeks tainted bright pink.

* * *

Adrien and Marinette are sitting on a bench at the park near the bakery, the former eating a slice of Tom and Sabine's salmon and spinach pie. If they had stayed at home, Marinette's parents would surely say something to embarrass her or they would probably interrogate Adrien. She wasn't in the mood to go through that, so she dragged Adrien all the way to the park before her parents could insist that they eat in the dining room.

"Sorry," Marinette apologizes once they've sat down. "It's impossible to get anything done with my parents around."

"It's good," Adrien says, shoving the rest of the pie in his mouth. "No, seriously. This pie is so good. Can I buy a box to take home—?"

" _Idiot_ ," Marinette says, slapping his arm. "I'm not talking about the stupid pie right now."

"I'm kidding," Adrien laughs. "It's no trouble, really. We've practiced enough for the competition."

"Adrien, we've only done one round."

"What—you want to spend more time with me?" he smirks.

Marinette squints her eyes. "Listen, you—"

A scream of absolute fear suddenly echoes throughout the park, and several people run past them with absolute horror written on their faces. A large shadow looms over Adrien and Marinette, causing them to turn around. Their eyes widen when they see an enormous version of the bot _2TO_ in the street.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Marinette," comes an all-too-familiar voice from the bot.

"Max?!" Adrien and Marinette exclaim at the same time.

"I'm not Max, I'm the _Gamer_ now!" Max answers, getting his lasers ready and locking on Marinette. "Let's see who's victorious this time." A greenish laser shoots out of the round window on the bot's head, heading straight towards the two.

" _Look out_!" Adrien screams, grabbing Marinette and launching both of them forward. They fall to the ground, with Adrien on top of Marinette, and he immediately rolls off of her upon realizing just how _close_ they are. "We have to get out of here!"

Adrien helps her back up on her feet and grabs her hand as they both run across the park. Marinette holds on tightly, too afraid to care that she's holding the hand of the person she can hardly stand the most. Adrien squeezes it to assure her that it's going to be all right.

Another green laser is shot in their direction, barely missing Marinette's head, causing her to lose track of where she's going. She and Adrien are separated by a bench, making both of them let go of each other's hands. Adrien runs towards the trees, and watches as Marinette runs out of the park, pursued by the Gamer.

"Plagg! We have to transform _now_!" Adrien says as Plagg flies out of his pocket. "We have to go save Marinette!" He ignores the smirk on Plagg's face and punches the air before his kwami could say anything. "PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

When Adrien turns into Chat Noir, he jumps on top of the nearest roof and follows the huge bot walking down the streets. From where he stands, he can see Marinette running away, but she's _clumsy_ and she falls to the ground, allowing the Gamer to catch up to her.

"Game over?" the Gamer asks, readying his laser.

Chat Noir immediately takes action and throws his staff at the bot with all his strength, successfully hitting it and stopping it from shooting its laser. "Not yet! Here comes a new challenger!" Chat Noir announces, catching his staff. He jumps off the roof he's on and lands on the ground, ready to fight.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette calls, catching his attention. "Help!"

Chat Noir performs a barrel roll, dodging each laser shot at him in the process. He lands in front of Marinette on all fours, sighing in relief to see that she's not hurt. He picks her up and runs across the streets, hopping from car to car and roof to roof, until he stops on the roof of one of the tallest buildings.

"Princess, stay hidden. I promise I'll be back for you," Chat Noir says, ready to jump off to fight the akumatized victim.

"Chat Noir, wait!" Marinette says, making the hero turn to her. "My friend Adrien is still down there! We have to go back to save him!"

He smiles. "Don't worry, he's all right. I took care of it," he says, giving her a two-finger salute. "I'll be back, don't go anywhere." Chat Noir barrel rolls off the roof, making Marinette laugh at how much of a show off he can sometimes.

She's about to transform into Ladybug, when she realizes that Chat Noir would have a heart attack if he returned and Marinette was gone. Marinette was the Gamer's number one target, so if she disappeared, he'd definitely freak out.

"Oh crap," Marinette says when Tikki flies out of her purse. "Looks like we're going to have to fight as Marinette again, Tikki."

* * *

Chat Noir lands on top of a townhouse's roof and sees the Gamer making his way towards a bus. Gasping, the superhero jumps off the roof and runs to the crowd heading in the direction of the bus.

"Get away from here—as far as you can!" Chat Noir warns the Parisians, making them all run off in different directions. He then turns to the bot and waves his hand, screaming, "Hey, _Third Place_! Over here!"

After hearing that nickname, the Gamer angrily locks his laser on Chat Noir. "My calculations indicate that your system's about to _crash_."

"Nope," Chat Noir says, extending his staff. "Yours is." He swipes his staff with all his might at the bot's legs, and he could hear the Gamer scream as it falls over and crashes to the ground. "Looks like it's game over for you, Gamer."

Chat Noir is walking towards the bot's round window, when a green light shines from it, absorbing the bus. The vehicle is reduced to nothing but shining, green orbs that the Gamer consumes, making his bot level up.

"… _Oh_ ," Chat Noir blanches. "Well, this problem just got a whole lot bigger."

"Get ready for level three," the Gamer cackles. "Your Miraculous is _mine_!" Before he fires, he catches sight of a familiar girl with pigtails poking her head out from behind a chimney, and his grin gets wider. Marinette's eyes widen when she realizes she's been seen, and she falls to the floor and covers her head with her arms.

Chat Noir wonders why the Gamer hasn't sent an attack yet, and follows its gaze. His eyes widen when he sees Marinette, and he jumps to the roof, blocking the Gamer's lasers by twirling his staff. Once he reaches her, he picks Marinette up bridal style and jumps from one roof to the other as fast as he can.

"We have to get him out of here before he destroys all of Paris!" Marinette exclaims as she wraps her arms tightly around her hero's neck.

"Any ideas?" Chat Noir asks.

Marinette looks around Paris for any ideas, when her eyes land on a billboard advertising the upcoming gaming competition. "The stadium!" she exclaims.

"Good idea, Princess," Chat Noir says with a wink. He picks up his pace and heads towards the stadium, and the Gamer follows closely behind.

Chat Noir lands on the fence of the stadium and jumps down to the field, setting Marinette down once he does. He protectively stands in front of her with his weapon at the ready, waiting for the akumatized victim to come along. The Gamer suddenly jumps into the arena, causing the ground beneath them to tremble when he does so.

Chat Noir runs in front of Marinette and throws his silver staff at the bot, but it only comes bouncing back into his hand. The Gamer only cackles at his failure and punches the ground, and Chat Noir pushes Marinette out of the way before she can get hurt. The bot then fires lasers out of his circular window, and Chat Noir quickly picks Marinette up and starts running around the arena to dodge the lasers.

Chat Noir puts Marinette down, and straps his staff back on his belt. He tells her, "Stay here. I'm finishing this level. CATACLYSM!" When the dark, bubblish glow appears on his hand, Chat Noir runs full speed at the bot and touches it, making it disappear into dust. The Gamer falls to the ground, screaming in frustration.

"Way to go!" Marinette exclaims as she runs next to Chat Noir. A floating, red sphere appears between them all of a sudden. She exclaims, "A power orb!"

"System crash, Gamer," Chat Noir says, taking his staff out and extending it.

"I don't think so," the Gamer cackles. "Unfortunately for you two, I saved my last level!" He touches his glasses, and his bot reconstructs, all new and ready to battle again. "Respawn!"

"Just _great_ ," Chat Noir says in annoyance.

"Did you see him push that button on his glasses?" Marinette asks. "I bet the akuma's in there!"

"Good thinking, Princess. Now, let's see if this orb can come in handy…" Chat Noir says, reaching his hand out to touch the sphere. Once he does, there's a flash of white, and a black cat bot appears before them. Chat Noir picks Marinette up and hops to the top, grinning to the Gamer, "Would you look at that—we leveled up too!"

Chat Noir and Marinette hop inside the cockpit, scanning the two stations that control the bot. "What do you want to do? Man it or fire?" Chat Noir asks with a smile. "I'll take whichever, I don't mind." If he could choose, he'd want to man the bot, but if Marinette wants to, he'd gladly hand that station over to her.

"I want to man it!" she exclaims, jumping into the seat. Chat Noir laughs and sits in his, ready to aim and fire when needed. The robot starts moving slowly as Marinette is trying to get used to the controls. While she's still trying to learn it, the Gamer unfairly punches their bot, sending them to the ground.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Marinette screams when the Gamer's bot runs up to them and starts punching their bot's chest. "Let's see how you'll like this! _Booster_!" The black cat bot sends their arm flying, and it rocket punches the Gamer's bot in the face. It knocks its triangular head off, making him chase after his fallen body part. He reconnects it to his bot and growls at the duo.

Marinette makes the bot perform some kind of dance to prove that she's finally gotten used to the controls. "Round two, Gamer," she smirks.

" _Missiles_!" the Gamer screams, sending a flurry of missiles their way.

" _Forcefield_ coming right up!" Chat Noir exclaims, activating it. A circular shield appears on the bot's right arm, and stops the missiles before it could hit them. " _Cat Saber_!" The black cat bot takes its tail off and uses it as a sword. He charges at the Gamer and swings, but their opponent jumps up to dodge it.

In mid-air, the Gamer screams, " _Drill_!" It turns the bot's arm into an enormous pyramid and it uses its sharp tip to drill at Chat Noir and Marinette's forcefield, destroying it. There's an explosion that occurs when the forcefield dies, sending the black cat bot to the ground.

"He just destroyed our forecefield!" Chat Noir screams.

"We're going to have to manage without it. _Bomb-bombs_!" Marinette exclaims, sending a handful of flying bombs in the Gamer's direction.

" _Laser Wall_!" the Gamer exclaims, trapping himself inside a laser globe. The wall makes the bombs disintegrate, but to Marinette's anger.

" _Helix_!" Marinette screams, making the bot's shoulders zip in the Gamer's direction, who dodges them without a sweat.

" _Launch_!" Chat Noir cries, his bot sending his arms flying in the Gamer's direction. Their opponent's bot separates its body parts magnetically, allowing the arms to fly past it and allowing it to reconstruct itself once they've passed.

" _Ear Lightning_!" Chat Noir tries again, but the Gamer counters with his own lighting attack. "He's anticipating each of our attacks!"

The Gamer lets out a battle cry and sends a punch at them, which they manage to dodge successfully. They perform hand-to-hand combat in the arena, when the Gamer decides to take it up a notch with another special attack.

" _Gamer Fire_!" the Gamer screams, making an orb appear. It demagnetizes itself and rematerializes behind the black cat bot, kicking it into the sphere. Chat Noir and Marinette are floating inside it, allowing the Gamer to shoot a beam at them, electrifying them. The Gamer cackles, "Today, I will be victorious!"

When Marinette gets the bot back up on its feet, Chat Noir slams the biggest button, crying, " _Catouken_!" A huge ball of energy forms at their bot's hands, and he shoots it at their enemy, making it fall to the ground. When the Gamer gets back up, Marinette makes their bot perform a spinning body slam, but the bot demagnetizes itself and reforms in front of them.

"You can't defeat this final boss!" the Gamer cackles.

"How are we supposed to beat him if we can't even catch him?" Marinette asks.

"Beat him harder and jam the system!" Chat Noir answers. "That's all we can do for now! _TatsuMari_!"

" _Catouken_!"

" _Gamer Crusher_!"

" _Shoryunette_!"

" _Catouken_!"

" _Gamer Punch_!"

The two bots finish by having their hands on each other's shoulder, both trying to knock each one over with strength alone.

"I've got an idea," Chat Noir says, getting out of his seat and unclasping his silver weapon from his belt.

"Where are you going?!" Marinette screeches.

"I think this could help," Chat Noir winks, hopping out of the cockpit. Once outside, he closes an eye and sticks his tongue out in concentration, aiming at the green circular window. If he destroys it, the Gamer would surely have a hard time winning.

Chat Noir throws his arm back and pitches his staff at the window with all his might, managing to crack it. His weapon makes a boomerang effect and flies back into his hand, and Chat Noir grins to himself when he hears the Gamer's panicked cries.

"What have you _done_?!" the Gamer screams at his screen. The cracks impair his vision, making it look like he's fighting ten black cat bots of different sizes. All of his attacks become clumsy and hesitant, allowing Chat Noir and Marinette to beat his bot up mercilessly.

" _KA… ME… HA… ME… HA!_ " Chat Noir screams dramatically as he performs a _Catouken_. This final attack breaks open the Gamer's bot's chest, revealing the akumatized victim sitting inside the cockpit. He has a look of absolute fear on his face, and he closes his eyes when the black cat bot's fist comes flying at him. When the blow never comes, the Gamer opens his eyes to see the fist right in front of his face.

"Wh-what?" the Gamer babbles.

"Calm down," Chat Noir laughs. The Gamer looks up to see him standing on top of the fist with his arms akimbo. Marinette is standing behind him with a sad smile on her face. Just remembering that _she's_ the one who caused Max's akumatization makes her feel unbelievably guilty.

Chat Noir jumps off the fist and takes the Gamer's glasses off. "Game over," he says, breaking it into two. A black butterfly flutters its way out of the item, and Chat Noir takes his staff out. His extends his weapon, and when a glowing green ball of light appears at the tip, he catches the butterfly with it and purifies it. The butterfly is painted white, and it flies away after being released.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," Chat Noir smirks, when his ears suddenly perk up. He turns around to find Marinette stifling her laughter. "Oh, my g—I don't normally say that, I swear!" he exclaims. "Ladybug says it all the time, and I thought that you were her for a split second."

"Don't worry, I get it," Marinette laughs.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir screams in slight embarrassment, pounding his staff against the bot's surface. Magic dust travels through the air, and the bots disappear in clouds of black and violet. The Gamer reappears on the ground, and in a puff of black and violet, he's Max again. Marinette climbs onto Chat Noir's back, who hops off the bot before it disappears.

After putting her down, Chat Noir holds his fist out to Marinette, who looks down at it in surprise. "Pound it," he grins. Marinette's face lights up only for a split second because the second her fist bumped his, she remembered that he's only nice to her because she's Marinette and not Ladybug.

She frowns.

"So, I heard you're going to be competing in Paris' gaming competition tomorrow night," Chat Noir says. "Impressive. You won't know who I am, but I'll be watching."

"Thanks, Chat, but…" Marinette takes a quick glance at her confused classmate. She sighs, "I don't I'll be playing. I have to fix a few things…"

"Trust me," Chat Noir smiles. "You will play."

"What do you mean?" Marinette asks.

Chat Noir's ring beeps, signaling the near-end of his transformation. "I have to go," he says. "I'll see you tomorrow, Princess. Good luck!"

"Wait, Chat! What did you mean when—" Marinette begins, but Chat Noir leaves before she could finish her question. She groans, "Honestly. He reminds of Adrien when he does things like that."

Marinette looks down at the fist she bumped Chat Noir's with, her heart heavy.

"You jerk."

* * *

"The current high score to beat is 46,110 points!" the announcer of the gaming tournament exclaims. "Please welcome our next school—École Francoise-Dupont!"

"Marinette, there's no time to be indecisive," Alya says, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You have to go play!"

"It's just that I feel so bad for Max," Marinette says, eyeing the boy looking down at the floor in disappointment. "And well, it just wouldn't be right." Marinette gets up from her seat and walks up to him. She holds her controller out for him, making him look up at her in confusion.

"Marinette?" Max asks. "What are you doing?"

"I've thought about this a lot, and…" she smiles. "I think you should play tonight, Max."

"Wh… what?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love this game," Marinette says. "But it's not my heart and soul. It's your tournament, Max. I don't want to take that away from you." She places the controller in his hands. "Take it. I insist."

Max looks down at the controller in shock. "Marinette…" he begins. "I-I don't know how to thank you."

"By winning the tournament," Adrien says, holding his controller out to Marinette. "With her. You're a lot better than me, Marinette. Take my place."

"I'm glad you admitted I'm better than you," Marinette smirks, but it fades when the memory of what he said earlier resurfaces in her mind. "Uh, Adrien? That reminds me, what did you mean when you said—"

"Max, Marinette—they're waiting for you!" Nino suddenly interrupts, sticking his head between them. Adrien tries to hide his frown when Nino did so.

"Let's win this," Max says, tightening his grip on his controller.

Marinette nods. "You bet."

* * *

"And the gold medal goes to…" the announcer begins. "ÉCOLE FRANCOISE-DUPONT WITH A SCORE OF 53,250!"

The entire class cheers loudly as they watch Max and Marinette walk up to the stage to claim their prize. A gold trophy is handed to both of them to put as display in their school, while two gold medals are given to Max and Marinette.

"Good job, guys!" Nino and Alya exclaim simultaneously as they rush to their winners.

The rest of the night is filled with pictures and cheers and compliments for the two, and it went by too fast for Marinette to register. Before she knows it, she's already home, looking out into the sleeping city on her balcony. All she was able to think about during the entire match was if Chat Noir _did_ watch her play, and if he _was_ cheering her on. She sighs, playing with the gold medal in her hands.

"Good evening, Princess."

Marinette jumps and turns around swiftly to see Chat Noir standing behind her with his signature smirk on his face. "Chat Noir?" she asks. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to tell you that you did a great job today," he says simply. "I was watching you in the crowd. Your combos were amazing. You and your teammate really worked as a team, unlike the other competitors. Good job."

"Thanks," Marinette says with a smile, but it quickly drops when she looks down at her medal again. Chat Noir came to see her to congratulate her—she _knows_ she should be happy and smiling and bursting with joy, but she isn't. Because she knows that he would never be this kind to Ladybug.

Chat Noir lowers his head to catch her eyes, and seeing them filled with sadness, he says, "You know, for someone who won first place for their school, you look pretty down. What's wrong?"

"It's just… well…" Marinette sighs. "Chat Noir, I can trust you, right?"

"Of course," he says.

"There's… this guy that I like," Marinette begins slowly and hesitantly. Chat Noir feels his heart split in two at her confession. "But he hates me. I don't even know why. No matter how much kindness I show him, he ignores it and only chooses to remember the bad."

While Marinette continues to talk about her unrequited love, Chat Noir says in a hushed whisper, "I know how that feels."

"What did you say?" Marinette asks.

Chat Noir shakes his head with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry," he says. "It's nothing."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** The ending is for the MariChat most of you were asking for, but it's mostly to give you all a sneak peak of what next chapter is going to be about! It's going to be really bittersweet. ;w;

In response to guest reviewer **greatkate** , don't worry, I'll explain why Chat Noir hates Ladybug so much _very_ soon. I wouldn't just make him hate her for no reason LOL. And in _Dark Cupid_ , Marinette signed her name on the letter because she _was_ going to reveal her secret identity to Chat Noir. You could guess that she threw away the letter because she didn't want to make things worse. Chat Noir is so nice to her, and if he were to find out that she was Ladybug all along, Marinette was afraid that he would start hating her too.

In response to **Guest** asking what happened to _The Mime_ , I already said that I was going to post _Kung Food_ and _The Gamer_ first. _The Mime_ is next chapter.

Thank you for all the favorites, alerts and reviews! I'm almost at 300 reviews, I'M GOING TO CRY. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. ;w;

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 9  
Chat Noir: 8**

 _Next Episode: The Mime_


	17. The Mime: Don't Act Like You Care

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 17_

The Mime: Don't Act Like You Care

"I've always wanted to be a teacher, actually," Mme Bustier explains to her class. "I loved giving class presentations. I loved helping others. I loved my Literature teacher, and she's probably what inspired me to become a teacher. Ten years later, I still love my job."

They were talking about Shakespearian Literature that afternoon, but somewhere along the way, they had gotten off topic. This lead to a conversation about careers and futures, and Mme Bustier decided to turn their discussion into an activity. Everyone had to tell the class what they're planning to be in the future.

"I aim to become one of the most renowned surgeons in Paris," Max answers, pushing his glasses up. "It is a very difficult and tedious job, but I am quite detail-oriented and studious, so I do believe I fit the necessary traits."

"That's a wonderful goal, Max," Mme Bustier says. "What about you, Chloe?"

"I want to—no, I'm _going_ to be one of Paris' top models," Chloe answers, flipping her blonde ponytail. "I have the looks and the money, and everybody _adores_ me already. It's going to happen, I know it."

Eye rolls and whispers like, "Get over yourself, Chloe," travel around the class, and they only stop when Mme Bustier gives them stern looks.

"Alya?" Mme Bustier asks. "What about you?"

"I want to be a reporter!" Alya exclaims excitedly. "I want to travel the world and explore new places and get the latest scoops in each country I visit! My LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat are the first step to my success!"

Mme Bustier grins at her student's enthusiasm. "Best of luck to you, Alya. You can do anything if you put your mind into it," she says, making Alya grin wider. "Marinette?"

"H-huh?" Marinette stammers. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Mme Bustier laughs. "What do you want to do when you're older?"

"Well…" Marinette starts. "It's always been my dream to become a famous fashion designer." She eyes the class and sees all her classmates giving her a nod of encouragement. They _always_ see her doodling in class—her response is no surprise to them. "One as big as Gabriel Agreste would be ideal, but it's going to take a while before—"

She's interrupted by a snort, and she knows all too well who it belongs to. "Really? Can any of you imagine _Marinette_ as a fashion designer?" Chloe cackles. "Judging from what you're wearing, I don't see it happening."

Marinette looks down at her clothes self-consciously. She thinks they're fine—but the burning feeling in her ears doesn't leave and the heaviness in her heart remains.

" _Chloe_ ," Mme Bustier scolds, pointing out the door. "I won't have this kind of attitude in my class. Go to the principal's office and explain everything to him!" With a scoff, Chloe exits the classroom. The teacher gives her student a look of apology, "Don't listen to her, Marinette. Don't let this get you down."

Marinette nods.

Everyone continues to talk about what they want to be in the future, and Marinette learns many things about her classmates. Nathanael wants to become a storyboard artist for the _Zagtoon_ or _Toei Animation_ companies, but a job as a comic book illustrator would make him equally as happy. Nino wants to become a music producer or movie director, and Kim aims to be a famous athlete. Ivan and Sabrina haven't given it much thought, and Rose would like to become an elementary school teacher. Juleka would like a quiet job in the office, Alix wants to compete in the Olympics, and Mylene would just like a financially secure job. Finally, Adrien plans on getting a degree in Applied Physics, and he's probably going to continue modeling for his father's company.

Marinette is frowning for the rest of the class, and the bell finally rings, signaling that the period is over. She slowly packs her bags, and upon seeing her sketchbook in her backpack, her heart plummets to the floor.

Chloe's words had hit her harder than she'd like to admit.

"Guys, did you hear about the Pantomime theatre?" Alya asks Marinette, Adrien and Nino when they're the only ones left in class. When they all shake their heads at her question, she continues, "It's playing tomorrow night! We should all go!"

"That sounds cool," Adrien grins. "I'm pretty sure I'm free by then."

"I'm down!" Nino exclaims. They all turn to Marinette, eager to hear her response.

"I-I don't think I'm in the mood to go, actually," Marinette says as she scratches her head and fake laughs. "I think I'd rather spend the day at home."

"What?! Why?" Alya asks. "You have to come!"

"Yeah, it won't be the same!" Nino exclaims. "It won't be fun without you!"

"I-it's okay, really," Marinette replies, waving her hands.

Adrien eyes her suspiciously. "Don't tell me it's because of what Chloe said," he says, and he notices Marinette's face blanch. He gives her a look, saying, "You can't be serious."

" _So what_ if it's about what Chloe said?" Marinette's face flushes. "She didn't have to go that far. No one should ever discourage a person's dreams…"

"You're so sensitive," Adrien says. "Are you really not coming because of something this _small_? Stop being such a baby—moping about something this stupid won't get you anywhere. You'll be fine. You still have years ahead of you to work for it. Don't be so immature."

"Shut up, you don't know how it feels to be degraded like that!" Marinette screams, startling Alya and Nino. "You were born into a rich family, your father's a famous fashion designer, and you have your whole future all set as a model and possible heir to your father's company! Unlike you, I actually have to work hard for my dreams and my goals! You have nothing to worry about! You have it easy!"

" _Easy_? You think I have it _easy_?" Adrien begins, raising his voice to overpower hers. Marinette cowers under his glare and his voice—she's never seen him so angry before. " _You_ try spending your entire life locked up in your house! _You_ try spending your entire childhood homeschooled and friendless! _You_ try getting good grades _while_ having photoshoots, piano, fencing and Chinese! _You_ try doing all this to impress your father, knowing that no matter how much you succeed, it's _never_ good enough!"

Marinette stays silent after his outburst, and so do Alya and Nino. The atmosphere is tense, and Adrien's fists are clenched so tight, his knuckles are turning white.

"Adrien…" Marinette begins quietly. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't… I was just—"

"Nevermind, Marinette," Adrien says. He slings his backpack over his shoulder and starts walking towards the exit. "I won't be coming either."

"Adrien—" Marinette starts, and when he turns to look at her, his eyes pierce right through her. His glare is so cold, so intense, it makes her shiver.

"Don't act like you care," is the last thing he says before disappearing behind the door.

Alya and Nino shake their heads in disappointment at Marinette before slowly exciting the room as well. Marinette is left all by herself, and she looks down, trying hard to fight the tears pooling in her eyes. But she fails, and she buries her face in her hands.

Making his way down the hallways of the school, Adrien wonders why she always chose to see the bad in him. She picked out the good in everyone all the time—she's kind to _Chat Noir_ —but never to _Adrien_. No matter how kind he is to her, no matter how many things he's done and sacrificed for her, she still hates him as much as she did the day they first met. It's unfair.

He finally reaches the exit and seeing his limousine parked out front, he walks over to it and gets inside. Once he puts his seatbelt on, he looks out the window sadly.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts."

"I can't get akumatized."

"Ladybug _cannot_ be akumatized."

"Chat Noir has to be able to save the day."

"Good thoughts, good thoughts…"

"I'm okay. It's okay. It's okay…"

* * *

He shouldn't have yelled at her. He saw tears in her eyes while he was screaming at her, but he couldn't stop himself. Plagg was right when he said that bottling up all his feelings would eventually lead to this…

Chat Noir has been on the Eiffel Tower for hours, trying to calm himself down. He's still a bit angry over what Marinette said to him earlier, but he's mostly just disappointed in himself for being so mean to her. He knows he has to apologize to her—they've become a bit nicer to each other and the last thing he wants is to break their slowly-growing friendship.

"Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir doesn't even need to turn around to know who said that. Ladybug's the only one who comes up there besides himself.

"How long have you been up here?" she asks, and he sees her sit a few inches away from him.

"A while," he answers. Ladybug lowers her head to try to look him in the eye, but he only turns away from her. Her nosiness is really starting to annoy him—and he isn't in a good mood to begin with.

"Are you all right?" she asks, worry dripping in her voice.

Chat Noir sighs. "Yeah, I just got into a bit of a fight with my friend."

"What did you fight about?"

"It's nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

His fists shake. "Let it go, Ladybug."

"What's wrong? You can tell me—"

Chat Noir bangs his fist against the cold metal platform of the Eiffel Tower, startling her. "Do you _have_ to know everything that's going on in my life?!"

Ladybug displays a look of hurt. "N-no, but—"

"Then just _stop talking_!" Chat Noir yells. "I don't need your pity!"

"Why do you have to be like this?" Ladybug screams. "Why do you always have to push me away? What did I ever do to you?!"

"I just—" he bites his lip. "I don't need your help, so can you just back off?! You're _annoying_ ," Chat Noir's eyes widen after his words escape him, and he immediately wants to take them back. He was just angry. He didn't mean to upset another person that day, even if they happen to be his rival. Chat Noir looks at her, "Wait… no—"

"Fine," Ladybug says, her voice breaking. She stands up and whips her yoyo out, pitching it as if she were throwing a baseball. When it locks onto something, she looks down at him sadly and says, "I'm sorry for caring."

Chat Noir watches her swing away, and he runs his hand through his hair in frustration when she's no longer in sight.

"I messed up."

* * *

Saturday comes around, and Marinette is still in her bed despite having woken up about an hour ago. Alya's coming over today, and she knows she's going to get scolded by her after her and Adrien's fight yesterday.

"Marinette! You have visitors!" Sabine calls from downstairs.

"Coming!" Marinette says, rolling out of bed. She throws on her everyday clothes and walks down the stairs to see Alya, Mylene and an unfamiliar man standing next to her mother.

"What did you say the name of the play is, Mr. Haprele?" Sabine asks, and Marinette walks over to stand next to her mom.

The man scratches the back of his head bashfully as his daughter answers for him instead. "It's called _The Mime's Extraordinary Adventures_ , starring the most talented, amazingly awesome actor and mime…" Mylene grabs her father's hand and exclaims, "My father! Fred Haprele!"

Marinette, Sabine and Alya all clap their hands, making Mr. Haprele laugh whole-heartedly. "Thank you very much! Thank you, Mylene." Mylene grins up at him.

"Well, congratulations, you must make your daughter very proud," Sabine smiles.

"Now all I need is my hat to complete my costume," Mr. Haprele says, looking over to Marinette.

"O-oh! It's upstairs!" Marinette says, pointing upwards. She runs up the stairs—nearly tripping over her feet in the process—as everyone follows her into her room. Once they reach the top of the stairs, Marinette comes running to her friend's father with a black bowler hat in hand.

"Here it is!" she exclaims, holding it out for him to take.

"Thank you, Marinette!" Mr. Haprele says, miming that it's inside a box. He carefully opens the lid of the invisible box and takes the hat out. He inspects it and gives the pigtailed girl a thumbs up for her hard work. Marinette places the non-existent box down with a laugh.

"I fixed the tear in it," Marinette says, pointing at the hat. "I also sewed the pocket on the inside, just like you asked."

"You've done a perfect job," he tells her. "Thanks to you, I'll have my good luck charm right here next to me at all times—a photo of my beloved daughter." Mylene smiles at her father's words and hugs him tightly.

Mr. Haprele's phone suddenly rings, and he turns away to answer it. "Hello—Sarah?" he asks. He listens to what she has to say (or scream), and answers, "Yes, I had to pick up my hat!"

" _I need you here. NOW_!" Marinette, Alya, Mylene and Sabine all hear the woman scream from his phone.

"Yes, of course! I know the bus is leaving in less than a half hour, I'll be there!" Mr. Haprele says, hanging up his phone. He then turns to the confused girls and explains, "That was Sarah, the place director. She's very nervous about the premiere. She's ready to blow a fuse! So I better get going. See you tonight at the Eiffel Tower!"

"Actually, I—" Marinette begins.

"We'll be there," Alya interrupts, giving Marinette a look.

The pigtailed girl sighs. "R-right… See you tonight, Mr. Haprele," Marinette says.

Mr. Haprele bids them all goodbye one last time and when he disappears down the stairs, Sabine turns to her guests and offers them some snacks before they go.

"Thank you, but I should get going," Mylene says politely. "I have to pass by my house to change before the show. Thank you again!"

"It's no problem, I understand," Sabine says, and they all bid the blonde goodbye as she exits Marinette's room. "And you, Alya?"

"I'll stay," Alya says. "Do you have those pistachio macarons Marinette brought on the first day of class? Those were too good. Well, I only had half of one because Marinete dropped—"

" _Yes_ , we do still have those," Marinette says, laughing nervously when her mother shoots her a look.

"I don't even know where you got your clumsiness from," Sabine laughs, heading down the stairs. "I'll bring some up for you two."

"Thanks, mom!" Marinette exclaims. She shuts her trap door and looks over at Alya.

"Don't give me that look," Alya says, crossing her arms. "You're coming because you have someone to apologize to."

Marinette frowns. "I'm sorry—"

"That someone is Adrien, I'll have you know," Alya says. "I can't stand it. I mean, I thought your constant arguing was tiresome, but I'm going to miss it if you two never speak again. You have to make up with him."

"I just blurted it out because I was upset. Chloe likes making me feel miserable," Marinette says, slumping her shoulders. "What she said yesterday…"

"Marinette, you should know by now to never listen to Chloe," Alya says. "She did go a bit too far, but everyone knows you can do it. Just please promise me you'll apologize to Adrien."

"Okay, fine," Marinette sighs in defeat. Sabine calls them from downstairs, telling them that their macarons and tea are ready.

"Come on," Alya says, leaving first. Marinette nods, following her down to the dining room.

* * *

"You didn't have to yell at her."

"I _know_."

Plagg is weird. One second, he's crying over Camembert cheese, and another, he's giving Adrien _actual_ advice and the occasional scolding.

"It's not entirely your fault—she _did_ start all the screaming," Plagg says, and when he tosses his cheese over his shoulder, Adrien nearly has a heart attack. "You didn't have to say all those things about her being a baby and all that though. Chloe talked bad about her future, and that's a sensitive topic for everyone."

"I didn't mean to make it sound bad," Adrien says, rubbing his arm. "I just wanted her to come along…"

"Yeah, and you couldn't just go like, _Marinette, you should come along because I really want you there because I LIKE YOU—"_

" _Stop_."

"My point is," Plagg coughs, crossing his arms. "You could've said it in a nicer way."

"I can't just say that," Adrien groans. "Not after all the damage I've done already. I can't just be nice to her all of a sudden."

"Sure you can," Plagg says. "That way, you could skip the whole arguing thing and actually be friends so that I won't be woken up by the sound of you two fighting all the time."

Adrien squints his eyes. "All you care about is your naps."

"And cheese."

 _Knock, knock, knock_.

"Adrien, it's time for your photoshoot," Nathalie says monotonously from the other side of the door. "The car's ready, so please be out as soon as possible."

"Sure thing, Nathalie," Adrien says. When Plagg flies into his pocket, Adrien opens the door to his room and exits, walking down the lonely halls of the Agreste Mansion. He makes it to the front of his house and enters his car, watching the houses pass by with a blank expression on his face.

"You don't have anything planned for tonight," Nathalie says, putting her tablet away. "I asked your father about the Pantomime theatre, and he said you're free to go. He would like you to be home the moment it's over, however."

Adrien nods. "Got it."

The car suddenly comes to a halt, making Adrien and Nathalie jerk forward. "What's going on?!" Nathalie exclaims.

Gorilla points to the front, and Adrien sees Ladybug running towards them. He lowers his car window in time to hear her say, "Get out of the car and find a place to hide, I'll cover you—"

Ladybug looks into the car, and her eyes widen at the sight of Adrien. He looks into her eyes, and guilt washes over him because she's making the exact same expression when he yelled at her as Chat Noir. He's about to say something to her, when his car is suddenly hit with what seems like invisible arrows. Adrien looks ahead to see a man with purple skin and teardrop tattoos under his eyes, and seeing as he's shooting invisible arrows, he's clearly an akumatized victim.

Nathalie and Gorilla immediately run out of the care, believing that Adrien is following them, but he isn't. He gets out of the car, grabs Ladybug's hand and pulls her to the other side of his car.

"I'm going to distract him, so look for a place to hide," Ladybug says, spinning her yoyo.

"Ladybug, wait," Adrien starts. His eyes land on his hand, and he almost slaps his forehead. He thought he was Chat Noir for a second. Adrien looks up to see Ladybug with a face that reads _what do you want to say?_ He continues, "Just… be careful."

Nodding, she jumps out of her hiding spot and starts running towards the right so that Adrien could escape in the opposite direction. When he finds a good hiding place, Plagg flies out of his breast pocket and floats in front of his eyes.

"I'm proud," Plagg says, placing a hand on his chest. "You were going to say sorry to her before you realized you weren't Chat Noir."

Adrien chooses to ignore his kwami's comment. "We have to transform," he says as he punches the air. "PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

When Adrien transforms into Chat Noir, he runs back to the battle field to see Ladybug being held back by an invisible rope. The Mime is about to grab her earrings, and seeing this, Chat Noir extends his staff and hits him on the chest, making him let go of Ladybug to clutch his chest instead.

"Don't touch her," Chat Noir growls. Ladybug looks up at him in surprise.

The Mime scoffs mutely and makes a gesture that looks like he slammed a door shut. Chat Noir starts charging at him, but Ladybug grabs his arm before he can hurt himself.

"Don't—there's a wall in front of us now," Ladybug says, throwing her yoyo at it to prove it to him. Her yoyo hits the invisible wall, making it plop to the ground. On the other side of the wall, the Mime gets into an invisible car and drives off, leaving the rivals behind. There's an awkward silence, when Ladybug coughs to break it.

"He can only mime one thing at a time," she says, avoiding eye contact. "The wall's gone. We can go after him now."

Chat Noir nods. "Alright."

They jump on top of a roof and scan the streets of Paris to see where the Mime could have gone—it wasn't too hard to find him considering he's the only one floating in thin air. Ladybug and Chat Noir jump on top of his vehicle, the former spinning her yoyo and the latter taking out his staff.

Ladybug gasps at the sight of the Mime's hat. "Mr. Haprele?!" she exclaims. At the sound of his name, the Mime slams the accelerator, nearly making the two heroes fly off. Ladybug looks ahead to see a bus with a poster advertising the Pantomime theatre that night on it. She says, "He's one of the actors from the theater troupe, and he's after that bus!"

After hearing that they've figured his plan out, the Mime opens the door of his invisible car and jumps out. Ladybug and Chat Noir scream as the car continues to drive, and the black cat superhero takes action when he sees a mother and her son walking in the distance. His stomach twists at the sight—no way is he going to leave that child motherless.

He jumps into the car through the open door and slams on the breaks as hard as he can, stopping just before the vehicle could hit the pedestrians. The Mime mutely growls at their success and mimes that he's on a motorcycle. He speeds off, and Ladybug and Chat Noir fall when the invisible car disappear from under them.

"He can only mime one thing at a time," Chat Noir reminds himself absent-mindedly.

"One of us has to make it to the bus before he does," Ladybug says, and Chat Noir's eyes widen at the words _one of us_. She always said _we_. She always said _team_. They're not partners—they're rivals, and he knows that. But something about those words makes his stomach drop. She mutters, "But how will we see the bus from here…"

Chat Noir takes her arm and wraps it around his shoulders. Ladybug quirks an eyebrow, and with red-tinted cheeks, she asks, "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Trust me on this," Chat Noir says. He places one end of his staff on the ground and extends it, elevating them up to the sky. When he reaches the top, he gets into a crouching pose and lets Ladybug sit on one of his legs.

"Thanks," Ladybug mutters quietly. She sees the bus in the distance and points ahead, saying, "Drop me off over there." She did it again. She said _me_ instead of _us_. Chat Noir stays silent and hauls them forward, where they both land on top of the bus.

They're running towards the end of the bus, when the Mime flips onto the roof as well and draws an invisible sword.

"Get his hat," Ladybug says, and Chat Noir nods. The black cat pole-vaults himself over the Mime, whose sword was surprisingly not long enough to even touch him. Chat Noir uses his staff as a substitute sword, and he uses his fencing skills once again to try to beat him.

While distracted by him, Ladybug quietly makes her way over to the Mime and gets on her tippy-toes. She's inches away from grabbing the grabbing the akumatized victim's hat, when the Mime notices and turns around to try to hit her with his weapon. Ladybug deflects his strike by spinning her yoyo, and the force of the block makes the Mime roll off the bus. Ladybug grabs his hand before he could fall off, and his face smashes against one of the bus's windows.

The Mime looks up in shock to see that Ladybug had saved him, but he claws at her ears to try to get her earrings. Ladybug jerks her head back just in time to dodge his hand. Chat Noir notices that his rival is slowly slipping off the bus, so he pulls her legs to make sure she won't fall off.

"Get the hat!" Ladybug orders, looking at him.

"Look out!" Chat Noir warns, extending his staff to hit the Mime's fist before it could come in contact with Ladybug's head.

This makes the Mime lose his grip on Ladybug's hand, and he falls on the windshield of one of the passing cars. He mimics a chainsaw and tears open the roof of the car, and he gets in the passenger's seat, frightening the driver. The Mime glares at the driver and points forward, making them nod and whimper in fear. The poor citizen presses the accelerator to catch up to the bus, and the Mime readies his weapons.

"Warn the passengers," Chat Noir says. "I'll take care of this."

Ladybug nods and knocks on the door of the bus. Seeing the familiar red and black polka-dotted arm, he opens the door and lets the superheroine inside.

"Stop the bus!" Ladybug exclaims, but the driver doesn't obey her.

A redheaded woman with glasses approaches her and asks, "Ladybug, what's happening?" From the sound of her voice, Ladybug assumes she's Sarah, the woman who screamed at Mr. Haprele on the phone earlier.

"One of your actors has been akumatized, and for some reason, he seems to be seeking revenge on your troupe!" Ladybug explains.

Sarah gasps. "Fred?!"

Up on the roof of the bus, Chat Noir continues fighting the Mime off by blocking each invisible arrow with his staff. The villain, however, manages to pop one of the bus's wheels, making the drive lose control.

Chat Noir sees it heading in between two lampposts, and he extends his staff when an idea comes to mind. At the last second, he throws the staff in front of the bus, helping it stop before it could tip over. Chat Noir flips into the sideway, retrieving his staff when the bus has fully stopped.

Inside the bus, everyone has been jerked forward due to the sudden stop. "Stay inside and don't panic," Ladybug says. "We—either I or Chat Noir will get this under control."

"Ladybug, I know why he's after us," says a voice. Ladybug looks around the bus to see a shaky hand emerge from behind one of the bus seats. The person sticks his head out to reveal a man with red hair wearing a bowler hat. "I-I took his role from him. But he can perform instead of me! I don't care anymore! Please, just keep us all safe!"

"What do you mean you took his role from him, Chris?" Sarah asks in confusion. "He lost it!"

"N-not exactly," Chris gulps. "There's something I have to tell you…"

Heavy footsteps are suddenly heard from above them, and Ladybug sees a blur of purple and white heading towards her rival. Chat Noir quickly gets up on his feet and fights the Mime using his staff once again, but he comes close to getting his head chopped off too many times.

Ladybug gets out of the bus and throws her yoyo at the Mime, which wraps around the arm holding the invisible sword. "I don't know what's made you this violent, but I don't think your daughter Mylene would want you to act this way!"

Hearing his daughter's name, the Mime sends her a glare and pulls the string of her yoyo. He spins her around and makes her knock into Chat Noir.

"Well, he sure brings a whole new meaning to silent but deadly," Chat Noir says, and for the first time ever, Ladybug doesn't react to it. This makes him frown.

He really, really hates it. Where's the groan, the slap on the forehead? The _shut up, Chat_? He really has to apologize to her because he doesn't want things to stay this way always. (He never thought that he would miss her so much).

"I think it's time I use my Lucky Charm," Ladybug says, preparing her yoyo. Chat Noir places a hand over her weapon and shakes his head.

"No, I've got this one," Chat Noir says, getting up and running towards the Eiffel Tower. "CATACLYSM!" he screams as the dark glow of his destructive ability emanates from his hand.

"What are you doing?!" Ladybug asks, realizing just what he's about to do.

"Trust me," Chat Noir mouths. He waves his hands in the air, screaming, "Hey, Mime!" The Mime turns his attention to him and makes a questioning look. Chat Noir points up at the Eiffel Tower. "So, this is where Chris is going to be performing tonight, huh? I hope you have fun backstage!"

Angered, the Mime runs towards Chat Noir with an invisible sword in hand, prepared to attack the superhero. Chat Noir grins and touches the Eiffel Tower with his Cataclysmic hand, and the Mime watches in horror as the monument crumbles.

Seeing as it's about to crush him, the Mime throws his hands up and mimics holding a wall of sorts to stop the iron pieces from falling over.

Chat Noir walks over to him, followed by Ladybug. "He can only mime one thing at a time, so basically, he's cornered," he says, taking the Mime's hat off. The villain tries taking a hand off to snatch it back, but one hand isn't enough to hold the pieces of the Eiffel Tower.

Chat Noir flips the hat around, catching sight of a purple-tainted picture of Mylene in the side pocket. He rips the photo in two, and a black butterfly flutters out of it. Chat Noir takes his staff out and catches it when the ball of green energy shines at the tip of it. The butterfly is purified, splashed with white and cleansed of evil, and it flies away.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir exclaims, hitting the end of his staff against the cobblestone grounds. The city is surrounded by magic dust that brings everything back to normal, and a black and violet cloud envelops the Mime, who becomes Fred Haprele once more.

Mr. Haprele looks around in confusion. "What happened? How did I get here?" he asks aloud.

Sarah approaches the man and kneels down to this level. She places a hand on his shoulder and gives him a look of apology. "I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, Fred," she says. Chris walks over to them and shifts from one foot to the other nervously.

"I'm sorry too," Chris says, looking down in guilt. "I was so desperate to perform that I lied to you about where we were meeting up." He sighs, and holds out Fred's bowler hat. "I hope you can forgive me."

Mr. Haprele stands up and takes the bowler hat out of his co-actor's hands. "Don't worry about it," he says, placing the hat on his head.

"Let's do our best tonight," Chris says, holding his hand out.

"Definitely," Fred answers, shaking his hand.

Seeing the two actors make up makes the atmosphere around Chat Noir and Ladybug awkward. Chat Noir wants to apologize to her, but before he can open his mouth to say something, his ring beeps.

"You should go," Ladybug says, eyeing his Miraculous.

Chat Noir internally fights with his thoughts, and he could picture Plagg screaming at him to _just apologize to her_ , but his nervousness gets the better of him and he leaves without saying anything to her.

Ladybug watches him go, and her heart drops when he's out of sight.

Chat Noir is hiding behind the chimney of a townhouse, his back against it. He pokes his head out and sees Ladybug swing off with her yoyo in the opposite direction, and he runs a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I'm such a jerk."

* * *

When nightfall comes, Alya manages to convince Marinette to come to the Pantomime theatre. They're both sitting on red velvet cushions, waiting for the even to start.

"I can't wait to see it," Alya grins, and Marinette nods her head with a smile. She _wants_ to have a good time tonight, but she knows that the only way she can is if she could make up with Adrien. He's going to haunt her thoughts the entire play, and that's the last thing she wants. The guilt would eat her up alive.

"Alright, alright, I'm going!"

Marinette turns to the sound of the voice and gasp when she sees Adrien heading her way while being pushed by Nino. She and Adrien have eye contact for three seconds before the blond looks away from her. He slowly walks over to her and takes the seat right next to her. Alya sends Nino a look, and before Adrien or Marinette could protest, they're already gone. (Marinette _knows_ that this is their way of saying _apologize to him now, don't make this awkward for all of us_ ).

It's silent. It's eerie. Marinette wants to disappear because the awkwardness is over-whelming. She's the one who should be apologizing, but she's so nervous and scared and—

"…Hey," Adrien is the one to break the silence. He turns his head, and sea green meets sky blue. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Marinette shakes her head. "I should be the one apologizing," she says. "I yelled at you first, and I said all those things without even thinking about your side of the story. I was being ignorant."

"I provoked you," Adrien admits. "I started all this. You wouldn't have said all those things if I didn't say anything. I just wanted you to come so that we could all hang out together. I didn't mean it to turn it into an argument—a real one, that is."

"It's all right," Marinette says, and Adrien smiles.

"So, we're good?" Adrien asks.

"Of course," Marinette says. "But I hope you know I'm still going to insult you."

Adrien laughs. "Good. It just wouldn't be the same, would it?"

"Exactly," Marinette nods.

Nino and Alya return seconds after their apologies, and the rest of the night is filled with laughter and happiness. Adrien and Marinette didn't argue with each other the entire time, but both Nino and Alya know that it'll all go back to normal by next week. For now, they're going to enjoy the silence.

"See you guys on Monday!" Alya exclaims, waving to Nino and Adrien, who are headed in the opposite direction.

"Bye Alya!" Nino exclaims. When his gaze shifts to Marinette, his face turns beet red. "B-bye Marinette!"

"Bye Nino," Marinette waves. She smiles when her eyes shift to Adrien. "Bye Adrien."

Adrien nods. "See you two on Monday. Have a good night," he says, turning around to catch up to Nino. He takes a glance at his best friend and comments, "Your face is all red."

"It's probably because I laughed too hard back there," Nino says a little too quickly. Adrien quirks an eyebrow, but shrugs it off. Nino probably isn't ready to tell him yet, so he'll just wait until he is.

Adrien and Nino pass by a poster of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and Adrien's eyes flicker at the sight of the red and black polka-dotted superheroine.

Now that he's already apologized to Marinette, there's another person who also deserves an apology.

* * *

After the Pantomime theatre performance, Chat Noir goes around the city for patrol, hoping to see Ladybug so that he could apologize to her. She's always been so kind to him no matter how bad he treats her—she didn't deserve to be yelled at or treated the way her treats her.

He sighs.

Unlike him, she really does have the traits of a superhero.

Chat Noir starts making his way to the Eiffel Tower to cheer himself up by looking at the view of Paris at night, when he sees someone already sitting there. From where he stands, he can trace Ladybug's features thanks to the brightness of the moon, and she's looking down at the city with a sad expression on her face.

Guilt washes over him when he realizes that he's the cause of her sadness, and he takes his staff out to pole-vault himself all the way to the tower. He makes it to the top, and he sees Ladybug jump when he lands on the platform.

"Hey," Chat Noir says, but Ladybug remains silent. Frowning, he makes his way over to her and takes a seat about a meter away. Despite this already wide distance, Ladybug still scoots a good two inches further from him. "Ladybug," he tries again.

She remains silent. He tries to take a look at her eyes, but she instead hides them with her bangs and turns away.

"Ladybug, look," Chat Noir begins. "I'm sorry about what I said last night. I didn't mean it."

"…It's all right," Ladybug says quietly. She pauses, and then takes a deep breath and calms her beating heart as she continues, "Chat Noir, can I just ask you something?"

"Go ahead," he answers.

"You have to answer, and you have to be honest with me, okay? It's the least you could do," Ladybug says, and Chat Noir promises to be honest. "…Why do you hate me so much?"

It's Chat Noir's turn to stay silent.

"You promised," Ladybug reminds him, and he notices her scooting closer to him from the corner of his eye. The old Chat Noir would've moved away to more she advanced, but the Chat Noir now just stays in place. He doesn't know when the changes started happening—but he convinces himself that he's just acting like this because he feels bad for yelling at her last night.

"…Fine," Chat Noir finally says. He bites his lip, muttering, "It's stupid though…"

"I won't laugh at you," Ladybug assures.

Chat Noir takes a deep breath. "You're a hero, Ladybug."

Ladybug raises an eyebrow. "So are you, Chat…?"

"What I mean is," Chat Noir scratches the back of his head, looking down. "You can capture the akumas and save the day without me. You're perfectly capable of doing all that on your own."

"Chat, you can capture akumas just as well," Ladybug says.

"Hear me out," Chat Noir says, and Ladybug nods. "Your Lucky Charm ability is… well, to put it simply, very powerful. You could defeat each one of our enemies with it. My Cataclysm has limits. I wouldn't have been able to defeat Timebreaker with it, or Mr. Pigeon, or the Bubbler. If I wasn't here, it wouldn't make a difference at all. You'd still be able to save the day."

Ladybug looks up at him with a heartbroken expression on her face. He's clearly been thinking about this a lot.

He continues, "I'm already uncared for in my civilian life." He turns to her, waving his hands. "I didn't mean to make that sound overly-dramatic! It's just—you see, I'm liked for my fake personality when in my everyday life. Obedient, polite, mature—the only time I could ever be myself is when I'm Chat Noir. In this costume, I'm free to be however I want to me. I can actually let my emotions out instead of bottling them all up inside. I can express anger, annoyance and negative emotions in general instead of putting on a fake smile and pretending everything's okay. I don't have to worry about disappointing my father this way."

Chat Noir looks down at his gloved hands and clenches them tightly. "So, when I'm myself, when I'm Chat Noir… I want to know that I'm liked for who I truly am. I want to know that I can be liked even when I'm not that perfect son, student or classmate. But then you came along," he makes a pause, and takes a deep breath. "Ladybug, the reason why I don't want to be partners with you is because I don't want to be over-shadowed by you. Like I've said before, you can easily save the day and be the star. You're kind, and you probably have a good thousand fans more than me. Alya's never seen me capture an akuma before. It kind of looks like _you're_ the one capturing them all."

Chat Noir turns away from her and looks up at the starry skies above them.

"The last thing I want is to be forgotten," he says quietly. "The last thing I want is to be known as just your sidekick."

"…No."

He turns to face her. "What?"

"Don't say that," Ladybug shakes her head. "Don't. You would never just be a sidekick. You would never be forgotten. You're just as capable, Chat Noir. You're amazing. You beat Darkblade with skill _alone_ —no Cataclysm, no nothing." She looks down at her yoyo. "My Lucky Charm _is_ powerful, that I agree with you. But I receive an answer on how to use it almost instantly. You actually have to think of a way to use Cataclysm to defeat your enemies. I…" Ladybug sighs, "I have it easy."

"No… neither of us does," Chat Noir shakes his head. "We're both students, we have a life and friends and family, and yet all of Paris—heck, maybe even the whole world—is counting on us to save them. We have a lot on our plates, but we're still here, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Ladybug nods with a small smile. "We are."

Chat Noir lets out a half-hearted laugh while shaking his head. "How am I supposed to act around you now?" he chuckles. He gets up on his feet and looks out into the city as a way to avoid looking her in the eyes. "I should go. I haven't been getting much sleep lately. You should head home too."

"I think I'm going to stay for a little longer," Ladybug says. "Good night, Chat Noir."

"Good night, Ladybug," Chat Noir says. He's about to jump off the Eiffel Tower, when he looks down to her to tell her one last thing. "This doesn't change anything, by the way. We're still rivals."

"I know," Ladybug smiles. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

"You lied to her, didn't you?"

Adrien freezes at Plagg's words. He turns around to look at his kwami, and his mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. His eyes are wide, he's shaking up and down, and he clenches his fists so tight that his knuckles turn white.

"What are you talking about?" Adrien asks as calmly as he can.

"You don't hate her," the kwami says, and for once, the cheese sitting in his hands doesn't interest him. "I know you did at first, but I know you don't anymore. Don't even try to lie to me because I can see right through you."

He remains silent.

"Tell me," Plagg says. "Why _did_ you hate her?"

"Because," Adrien swipes the screen of his phone to reveal a picture of his late mother. "She has her smile."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Woah, I didn't intend for the ending to be so dramatic.

 **EXPLANATION:**

OKAY SO. Canonically, Adrien falls for Ladybug because her smile reminds him of his mother's—it probably reminds him of her kindness and all their moments spent together. He obviously misses her, so Ladybug's smile probably reassures him that maybe his mother never _did_ leave. In this AU, however, he instead feels bitterness towards her because Ladybug's smile just reminds him that his mother is gone and that she's never coming back. In other words, **Chat Noir is mean to Ladybug because if he's nice to her, then she would smile. He doesn't want to be constantly reminded that his mother is gone.** I hinted at this in _The Pharaoh_ chapter, and shout-out to the wonderful **Artemis173** for being the first one to figure it out! You're amazing! :D

"But Kaorei, if Marinette is Ladybug, why doesn't _her_ smile remind him of his mother's?" Marinette hardly ever smiles at Adrien. She gives him small smiles here and there, but not ones as bright and sincere as when she's Ladybug smiling at Chat Noir.

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and the kind and perfect and wonderful reviews! ;w; Shout-out to guest reviewer **Ladybug fan** for being the 300th reviewer! 300 REVIEWS WOW THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO GET THIS MUCH FEEDBACK WHEN I STARTED THIS FANFIC. It's nice to know that all this work I put into this isn't for nothing. ;w; (In response to **Ladybug fan** , I'm sorry, but I won't be creating my own episodes! I'll just be writing rival!au versions of all the available _Miraculous Ladybug_ episodes. And I can't give Marinette a puppy or kitten! I want to at least stay true to the show and not add OC's. Her having a pet wouldn't contribute much to the story!).

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 9  
Chat Noir: 9**

 _Next Episode: Animan_


	18. Animan: You've Got to be Kitten Me

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 18_

Animan: You've Got to Be Kitten Me

" _Marinette_!"

Marinette turns around at the call of her name, only to have a magazine shoved in her face. She grabs the magazine and pulls it away to get a look at the page she practically kissed—which just so happens to be a picture of Chat Noir's handsome face.

"Check. This. _Out_!" Marinette finally looks over the magazine to see Alya jumping up and down excitedly. The scarlet-haired girl runs to her friend's side and pokes at the page on the right. The page features Alya's Miraculous Chat blog, with a picture of the admin herself at the very top and an interview of her. "MY BLOG IS IN IT, AND SO AM I. ISN'T THAT AMAZING?!"

Marinette reads the page with sparkling eyes. "What is this?!" she asks, flipping to the cover page to see that it's a magazine called _Tout sur Chat Noir_ —a title given permission by Alya Cesaire to use. Marinette has heard of this before; she's seen some called _Tout sur Ladybug_ while walking down the streets. She didn't know that Chat Noir's was already released. Marinette opens it up to read what's inside.

The pages are full of information and pictures of the superhero—his wins, facts, stolen shots, posed shots, quotes, and more. Marinette scans the pages and memorizes all the information she comes across.

"Favorite pastime," Marinette reads aloud on the _Facts_ page. Her face falls flat as she continues, " _Bugging_ Ladybug."

"What—were you expecting a magazine _not_ full of puns?" Alya laughs. "Pretty cool, huh? I thought you'd appreciate this, so I got it for you. Keep the magazine."

Marinette looks up at her friend with sparkling eyes. "Really? Thank you, Alya!" she exclaims, attacking her best friend with a bone-crushing hug. "And congrats on making it on this magazine!"

From afar, a boy pokes his head out from behind a door and smiles at the girl holding the magazine. He blushes red when he sees her laugh at something funny her best friend had said, and his heart stops when he sees her turn his way. He quickly hides behind the door, clutching his chest and hoping that she didn't see him. After several seconds, he slowly pokes his head back out to find her eyes looking back down at the booklet in her hands.

"What are you doing?"

Nino covers his mouth before he could let out a shriek. He turns around to see his best friend Adrien walking towards him with a look of confusion on his face.

"N-nothing!" Nino exclaims, scratching the back of his head, laughing nervously.

Adrien passes him and pokes his head out the door to scan the courtyard. He sees Alix and Kim doing push-ups (probably trying to see who could do the most), Rose taking pictures with an uneasy Juleka, and Nathanael drawing in his sketchbook (probably a sketch of Marinette).

Speaking of the pigtailed girl, Adrien catches sight of her and Alya sitting by the stairs while reading a magazine, and the sight of the bespectacled girl makes a Cheshire cat grin cross his face. He turns to Nino, who only looks away, face flushed.

"What're you looking at Alya for?" Adrien smirks. Everything made sense now—the stuttering after she was elected class deputy, the blushing after the Pantomime theatre. He _knew_ his best friend was hiding something from him.

Nino blinks. "…Alya?" he asks.

Adrien nudges him. "Come on, when did you start liking her?" he chides. "I knew you always had a thing for her. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I wasn't looking at Alya," Nino says, making Adrien blink in confusion.

"Oh," Adrien says. "Who _were_ you looking at?" He notices Nino shift uncomfortably, and he wraps an arm around his friend's shoulder. Come on, you can trust me. We're best friends, aren't we?"

Nino sighs. "Fine. You _promise_ not to tell anyone?" he asks, and Adrien promises. "Th-the person I like is…" He gulps, his face turning bright red. "Is…"

Adrien nods. Nino takes a deep breath and looks down to avoid eye contact.

"…Marinette."

Adrien's whole world stops spinning.

"What…?" he says, his palms getting sweaty. The world starts spinning again, but it's too fast, and Adrien starts feeling dizzy. "Y-you like… Marinette?"

"Sh!" Nino says, pressing a finger to his own lips. He looks around to make sure no one heard the blond, sighing in relief to see no one close by. "I-I do," Nino nods. "I think it started when she decided to run for class representative because right after that, I just couldn't stop thinking about her! I get so nervous around her and I get so jealous when she talks to other guys—like you!"

"Like me?" Adrien asks. "What are you talking about?"

"You guys are so natural around each other, man!" Nino says. "You guys are so close that you can argue about anything, but _still_ be good friends! You guys obviously don't mean any of the bad things you say to each other, and it's clear that you both care a lot about one another. I'd give anything to have what you two have. I wouldn't be surprised if people mistook you two for a couple."

"Woah, hold on, there's _nothing_ going on between me and Marinette," Adrien says, waving his hands, flushed in the face.

"For one day, I'd like to be as natural as you when talking to her," Nino sighs. "I don't even know what to do. Should I walk up to her and crack a joke? Show her some of my music? Invite her to the zoo? There's this _really_ cool new exhibit—"

"Alright, first of all, you have to calm yourself down," Adrien instructs, crossing his arms.

"I'm sorry! It's just—I want to be _more_ than just her friend, you know? I want her to notice me, and not just see some bumbling idiot who turns red every time she looks me in the eye," Nino says shyly, and Adrien feels his heart drop. "You'll help me out, right?!" he asks desperately with pleading eyes.

Adrien wants to say no. He really, really does.

But Nino's his best friend, and he's the first friend Adrien made when he first transferred into the school. He likes Marinette (he has for a long time now), but the last thing he wants is to betray and disappoint Nino.

"…Sure," Adrien says, trying to ignore the pang in his chest. "I'll help you out."

* * *

"Chat Noir is so cool," Marinette grins as she continues to flip through the pages of the magazine.

Each page features a picture of the black cat superhero making different poses. Her heart skips a beat when she lands on a picture of both Chat Noir and Ladybug. They're in the air, halfway through jumping from one roof to another. Ladybug is laughing with her eyes closed, and Chat Noir is looking at her with a small smile on his face. Marinette's eyes widen at his facial expression because she's never seen him smile so brightly at _her_ —

Marinette lets out a yelp when she bumps into someone's chest. She drops the magazine, and it falls wide open to reveal two pages with full-body pictures of Chat Noir posing.

Marinette looks up to see Nino and she apologizes immediately, "Nino! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!"

Nino is frozen in place and so is his facial expression. Alya raises an eyebrow and merely shrugs when Marinette turns to give her a look. Adrien suddenly appears from behind the DJ, sighing exasperatedly.

"Sorry about that. He wasn't looking where he was going either," Adrien says, lightly punching his best friend's shoulder. "Right, Nino?"

"Yes. Sorry about that, Marinette," Nino says robotically. Marinette laughs nervously, and her eyes widen when she sees her magazine on the ground, wide open. Adrien follows her gaze, and his eyes widen when he sees her copy of _Tout sur Chat Noir_. He bends down to pick it up and Marinette does so as well, not even realizing that Adrien's already in the process of doing so, and they both bump foreheads.

"You did that on purpose," Marinette scowls, and she rubs her forehead to soothe the pain. She picks up what's rightfully hers and stands straight, while Adrien slowly straightens his back. Marinette raises an eyebrow. "Where's your comeback?"

"Are you… on Team Chat?" Adrien asks, pointing down at the magazine in her hands.

"And why does it concern you?" Marinette asks, crossing her arms.

Adrien scowls. "Hey, I was just asking," he says. "It's a simple yes or no question, _geez_."

"Well, if you really want to know, _yes_. I'm on Team Chat," Marinette says, and Adrien's heart swells with absolute joy. _Marinette likes him_ —well, a part of him to be exact. But it's still him, and it's his real self too. Not the fake, obedient, mature, perfect Adrien Agreste, but the punny, insecure, competitive Chat Noir.

"You like Chat Noir?" Adrien beams.

"Of course I do!" Marinette exclaims happily. "He's cool and kind when he wants to be, thoughtful, optimistic and…"

Adrien listens to her every word with a grin on his face, when he hears Nino cough behind him. His world of sunshine and rainbows suddenly dies upon remembering that Nino likes her, and he ignores the pain because he promised that he'd help his best friend before all else.

" _Speaking_ of black felines," Adrien suddenly interrupts the excited girl. "Why don't we," he gestures to the four of them. "All go to the zoo later on? They have a new exhibit, now what was it again, _Nino_?" Alya is quick to notice the emphasis Adrien put in his friend's name.

"Th-the new black panther," Nino says, and he grins a little too widely, creeping both Alya and Marinette out just a tiny bit.

"So, you guys want to go check it out with us?" Adrien asks.

Marinette eyes him suspiciously. "…What's the catch?" she asks, making Adrien's jaw drop.

"Are you serious?!" he exclaims. "I'm just asking if you guys want to tag along. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Okay, calm down," Marinette says. She turns to Alya, who nods her head with a smile. "Sure, we'll tag along. But if you pull anything funny, I'm going to feed you to the panther—I'm looking at you, Agreste."

"Surnames? Really?" Adrien twitches. "Just meet us there after school. Four o' clock, and you better be there, Dupain-Cheng. You too, Alya."

"Yeah, yeah," Marinette says. "We'll be there."

After a rude goodbye from Marinette and a polite one from Alya, Adrien turns to his best friend, who looks like he's about to cry.

"Dude," Nino begins, wrapping his arm around Adrien's shoulder. "You're the _best_."

* * *

Alya Cesaire isn't dumb. She isn't oblivious or clueless or unaware when it comes to a thing called _love_.

"Alya, tell me why again you're not staying with me?" Marinette asks, fixing her earpiece.

"I've got things to take care of," Alya lies smoothly. Marinette doesn't know, but her best friend just so happens to be hiding behind a bush. "I'll stay on the line with you though. I just won't be _physically_ there."

"This is stupid," Marinette frowns. "And why do I have to wear an earpiece? I could just stay on my cellphone with you. Or you know, maybe we should just change plans. We could go on another day—"

"Not happening," Alya interrupts. "First of all, it's rude if you're going to be holding your cellphone the entire time, and second of all, both of us cancelling at the last minute in uncool. Just deal with it—you spent an entire day alone with Adrien already anyway. The second time around is a lot easier. Except this time, Nino's there too."

Marinette sees two figures from the corner of her eye and turns her head to see if it's the two boys she's waiting for. They turn out to be her classmates, Max and Kim, and they wave at her in a friendly manner.

"Oh, Max and Kim are here too," Marinette tells Alya in her earpiece, and the two boys walk towards her. Marinette walks towards them to meet them halfway.

"Hey, Marinette," Kim greets.

"Hey, guys," Marinette greets back. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard the new black panther's here," Kim answers, flexing his muscles and striking ridiculous poses, and Marinette laughs because he reminds her of Chat Noir. It isn't a surprise to her at all—he _is_ on Team Chat after all. "I want to see who's got the bigger guns!"

"Would you like to join us?" Max offers kindly.

Marinette shakes her head. "Thanks, but I'm actually waiting for people already," she says. "You guys have fun. We'll probably bump into you guys along the way."

"We understand," Max nods. "We'll see you soon then. Goodbye, Marinette."

"Bye, guys," Marinette smiles, and waves goodbye to them as they walk away. She turns around to see someone walking towards her and notices that it's Nino all by himself. He's waving at her with the creepiest and widest smile on his face, and Marinette looks in the distance, hoping to see Adrien, but he's nowhere in sight.

"Adrien's not here," Marinette tells Alya.

"And you care why?" Alya asks, and Marinette could practically _hear_ the smirk in her voice.

"I don't!" Marinette exclaims almost too quickly. When Nino stops in front of her, she says, "Hey, Nino. Isn't Adrien with you?"

Adrien carefully looks up from his hiding place and his face turns pink at the fact that Marinette actually cares about his absence. But he frowns because by the end of the day, she and Nino might be a couple. Nino's kind to her, while he (Adrien) isn't. Nino compliments her whenever he gets the chance, while he just insults her to no end. There's a big possibility that Marinette could fall in love with Nino.

She'd never fall for a guy like him.

"Tell her," Adrien frowns, and his chest constricts painfully. "Tell her… you guys are better off without me."

"We'll be better off without me," Nino says confidently, and Adrien slaps his forehead when he hears what his best friend said. "I mean, _him_! We're—without Adrien—better?" He laughs nervously, and gulps when Marinette raises an eyebrow in confusion. "What I mean to say is… w-we don't need Adrien to hang out at the zoo, right?"

"Don't tell me that idiot ditched," Marinette deadpans. "Or is he coming? We should probably wait for him then, don't you think?"

Adrien's heart flutters at the thought that Marinette might actually _want_ him there. But again, he can't do anything because he's helping Nino—he promised.

"Tell her you wanted to be alone with her," Adrien says into the earpiece.

"You know, kid," Plagg suddenly says. The kwami's lying on top of Adrien's head, facing the clouds and listening in to what's happening because for once, a human activity is _interesting_. "You're just hurting yourself."

"I'm fine, Plagg," Adrien says with a hint of sadness in his tone.

"No, you're not," Plagg says, and Adrien just chooses to ignore him. He continues to watch the scene, and he notices Nino starting to get nervous by the way he's shifting from foot to foot and turning red in the face.

"I don't want to be alone with her yet," Nino whispers into his earpiece.

"What was that?" Marinette asks, tilting her head.

"Nothing!" Nino says too quickly. "Just—yeah, y-you're right. We'll wait for him."

"What?!" Adrien exclaims loudly, nearly blowing his cover. He ducks when Marinette turns in his direction, and thankfully, she didn't see him. "What are you doing?! Don't wait for me—I'm not coming, remember?"

Nino and Marinette take a seat on the bench behind them, and wait silently for Adrien to come along. Alya overhears the conversation over the earpiece and facepalms at how bad Nino is at all this. Truth be told, she definitely wants Adrien and Marinette to end up together. But once Adrien hears about this, maybe this might help him realize just how much he likes Marinette after all.

"I'm surprised you actually want to wait for Adrien," Alya snickers. In a sing-song voice, she says, "Something tells me you don't hate him as much as you say!"

Marinette scowls and decides to stay silent.

After several minutes, Marinette gets impatient and says, "Oh, I bet the jerk's not even coming. He could've at least told one of us that he wasn't. He made us waste our time!"

"Repeat after me!" Adrien says desperately into the earpiece. "Adrien _is_ coming, but… but first, I wanted to take this opportunity to—"

"Adrien _is_ coming!" Nino repeats, turning to look Marinette in the eye, who's startled by his sudden exclamation. "But first, I wanted to take this opportunity to…!"

"To tell you that…" Adrien watches Marinette longingly from where he's hiding. "I love you, Marinette."

"To tell you that I—I lo…!" Nino's face becomes a fireball and he accidentally says, "—love a girl, but I don't know how to tell her…?"

"What are you doing?!" Adrien screams into the earpiece.

"You do?!" Marinette exclaims, clasping her hands together. "I can help you with that! Who is it?"

"Tell her that it's her," Adrien instructs Nino.

"It's you…" Nino drags the word _you_ until it becomes, "…r best friend, Alya!"

To be honest, Adrien is _happy_ that Nino messed up his confession. It's terrible, he knows, but he didn't want to give up on Marinette just like that. Not after those akuma fights with her, and those late-night talks on her balcony as Chat Noir. Not after their stupid arguments, their apologies, and her birthday gift to him.

"ALYA?" Marinette jumps excitedly.

"WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?!" Alya screams into her earpiece, making Marinette wince. "HE DID _NOT_ JUST SAY THAT. HE'S KIDDING. I _SWEAR_ HE'S KIDDING. THAT'S NOT COOL."

"I could fix up a date for you guys!" Marinette exclaims at Nino, and Alya's jaw drops upon hearing her best friend's words.

"WHAT?! You didn't even ask me first!" Alya shouts angrily. "Nino's like, a brother to me! That's _messed up_! No—end of discussion!"

"But he'll be so sad if you don't," Marinette frowns.

"WOULD _YOU_ BE HAPPY IF I SET YOU UP ON A DATE WITH _ADRIEN_ WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION? NO, YOU WOULDN'T," Alya screeches, nearly shattering Marinette's eardrums. "YOU ARE GOING TO FIX THIS RIGHT. NOW."

"Give him a chance! Nino's a nice guy," Marinette whispers.

"Did you say something?" Nino asks her, raising an eyebrow.

"I said, she'll be so sad if you don't tell her!" Marinette lies smoothly, and she smiles apologetically when she hears Alya makes another scream of frustration. Another scream, this time one of fear, makes it to Marinette's ears, making her look up. Max and Kim sprint right past her and Nino while screaming hysterically.

"What's going on?!" Nino screams when a black panther chases after his two classmates. He and Marinette turn at the sound of an elephant's trumpet to see a hoard of zoo animals coming their way. She and Nino run separate ways, allowing Marinette to hide behind some bushes to transform into Ladybug. Marinette turns her earpiece off before Tikki speaks up so that Alya wouldn't overhear.

"Marinette, you really shouldn't decide things for people," Tikki scolds. "Alya already told you that she doesn't want to go out with Nino. Why didn't you listen to her?"

"I guess I just got carried away?" Marinette says, but it sounds more like a question than an explanation. "I think Nino and Alya would make a great match!"

"We'll deal with this later. I expect you to apologize to Alya," Tikki says. "Now, it's time to save the day!"

Marinette nods. "Right! TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

Marinette transforms into Ladybug, and swings out of her hiding spot to look for the akumatized victim. She spots Kim backing up from a black panther in the distance, and hears it growl, "What do you think of panthers now?"

Ladybug jumps in front of Kim before the panther could lay any harm on him. "What do you think of ladybugs?" she asks.

"And another black cat?" a voice asks, and Chat Noir jumps into the scene, landing right next to Ladybug.

"I think I'm higher on the food chain," the black panther retorts.

"Oh. Good one," Chat Noir says. He then turns to Kim and tells him, "How about we see if you can outrun this Animan?" (Translation: _Get the heck out of here now_ ).

Kim nods and breaks into a sprint, the black panther chasing right after him. The feline leaps at him, ready to bite his head off, but foreseeing this, Ladybug pulls the Animan back with her yoyo.

"I think the akuma's in the charm of his bracelet," Ladybug tells Chat Noir.

"Hold him down—I'll get the bracelet," Chat Noir says without realizing the meaning of his words, making Ladybug nearly let go of her yoyo. She thought that he was going to say something about working alone like he usually does. But what he said sounded a bit like—dare she say it— _teamwork_.

She's about to nod her head enthusiastically while smiling brightly at him, but a roar of animals beats her to it. She looks ahead to see all the zoo animals staring at them, and disappointment and anger bubbles inside of her. The _first_ time Chat Noir suggested that they work together, these stupid animals just _had_ to get in the way.

"Attack," Animan snarls. The animals come running at them, making the two superheroes sprint off in the opposite direction.

"They have to get back into their cages!" Ladybug cries.

"Yeah, I definitely couldn't figure _that_ one out," Chat Noir says sassily.

While running, Ladybug catches a glimpse of two people running away from a bunch of other animals. She instantly recognizes the two as Nino and Alya— _wait_. What the heck is Alya doing here?! Isn't she supposed to be at home?!

Ladybug twitches. Best friend or not, Alya's going to have a taste of revenge.

She wraps her yoyo around the two and pulls them into an open cage. "Stay here—you'll be safe!" Ladybug tells them, smirking internally when she sees the look on Alya's face before shutting the door.

Ladybug swings through the park and sees Chat Noir, who's hanging on the branch of a tree as his only escape from the animals chasing after him. The lions claw at the bark, the giraffes stretch their necks as high as they can, and the elephants outstretch their trunks to try to reach him. Chat Noir can only grimace at them.

"Hey, come on—I'm an animal too," he tells them. They each react by trying harder to knock over the tree. With a straight face, Chat Noir performs an impression barrel roll and lands on the roof of the nearest cage. "Oh, hello, _My Lady_. Didn't see you there," is his way of greeting her.

"Who knew you had the ability to get animals angry at you too?" Ladybug deadpans, looking down at the raging mammals.

Chat Noir snorts. "They're just mad because I betrayed my fellow feline. You think I'd do it on—" He smirks. "… _porpoise_?"

"You're actually the worst," Ladybug says, smacking the back of his head.

"You didn't have to hit so hard, you violent klutz," Chat Noir says, rubbing the back of his head. He ignores the glare she shoots at him. "Animan's definitely after Kim. We— _one of us_ has to find him before he does."

Embarrassed, Chat Noir leaps ahead, and Ladybug follows behind, grinning at his slip up.

"What's that stupid smile for?" Chat Noir grumbles.

"Nothing," Ladybug laughs.

* * *

Chat Noir and Ladybug see Kim and Animan standing over the bridge, and the athlete backs up the more the black panther advances. Animan suddenly makes a leap at him, but Ladybug makes it fall to the ground by wrapping her yoyo around its legs and pulling at her string.

Chat Noir lands next to Kim and tells him, "Go and hide in the first building you come to." He sneakily attaches a tracker on his hoodie, and Kim gets up and starts running towards the buildings.

"You'll never get me," Animan growls, and his body is enveloped in a cloud of black and violet. When it disappears, there's an eagle instead of a black panther. The bird soars through the air, too fast for them to chase after.

"Should've seen that coming," Ladybug sighs. Her eyes shoot open. "Where's Kim?!"

"I know exactly where he is," Chat Noir says, waving his staff in the air. On the screen is a picture of the map of Paris with a moving cat paw on it. "Catch up if you can."

Chat Noir makes a head start, and Ladybug follows after him. Chat Noir stops on Marinette's balcony, saying, "He's in the bakery. Good thing too—I don't think eagles can open doors."

"Yeah, but what if he turns himself into a tiny animal? Like a mouse?" Ladybug asks.

"Then hurry up," Chat Noir says, hopping off the balcony. Ladybug follows after him, and they enter the Dupain-Cheng bakery. The bell above the door chimes, alerting those inside, and Tom and Sabine jump at the sight of the unexpected visitors.

"Hello, mo— _ma'am_ ," Ladybug says nervously.

"It's Ladybug! And Chat Noir!" Sabine exclaims. "Oh, thank goodness, now I know we have nothing to worry about."

They each make their way to the living room, and Kim sits in one of the loveseats, trembling in fear. Ladybug approaches him warily and lowers herself down to his level. "Don't worry, you'll be safe here," she tells him. She then taps a finger on his wristband. "Do you mind if I borrow this?"

"Sure," Kim says, slipping it off and handing it to the superhero.

"Thank you for your help," Chat Noir nods at Tom and Sabine "Make sure to lock all the doors and windows. Stay safe."

"We will," Tom assures him. "Good luck to you both!"

After thanking the kind bakers, Chat Noir and Ladybug exit through the door. Before leaving, Ladybug makes sure to wrap Kim's wristband around one of the knobs of the stair's rails. Downstairs, Ladybug tells him to wait for her because she forgot something, and the black cat superhero kills time by looking out the window to check if Animan is coming.

He suddenly jumps when a wet sensation hits the nape of his neck, and he turns around, whipping his staff out to attack. He sees Ladybug holding a can of air freshener in one hand, and he glares at her.

"Seriously?" Chat Noir growls.

"It'll cover up our scents so Animan can't smell us," Ladybug says cleverly.

"I could've sprayed myself," Chat Noir says, snatching it out of her hand. He sprays her stomach, making her scowl. "There you go. You actually smell like a girl now."

"You want to die?"

"Nah, not today."

Chat Noir goes back to looking out the window, his eyes landing on the bus parked on the other side of the street. "I think I have an idea," Chat Noir says, when his ears suddenly flop. "He's coming." He ducks, dragging Ladybug down with him, and he listens to the sound of Animan's wings flapping.

Ladybug takes a peak, grinning when she sees the familiar eagle flying around the bakery in circles. "It's working! He's sniffing out Kim!" she exclaims.

"Good," Chat Noir grins, getting up on his feet.

"What are you doing?!" Ladybug shrieks before covering her mouth after realizing how loud she is.

"Trapping him," Chat Noir answers, kicking the door open. He lures Animan into the bus he spotted earlier, making Ladybug gasp. She immediately runs out of the bakery and hits the doors to try to open them up.

Inside, Chat Noir jumps out of his hiding spot when Animan gets distracted by Ladybug, successfully hitting him with his staff and making him fly across the bus. Grinning, Chat Noir runs to the doors, only to smash against it.

"What?! Why isn't it opening?" Chat Noir cries, punching the door with his formidable fists. He runs over to the control panel and starts pressing random buttons before blanching. "…I did _not_ think this through."

Animan gets back up and dodges each attack Chat Noir throws at him by transforming into different animals of different sizes.

"Chat Noir, look!" Ladybug screams, pointing at the akumatized victim. "All these transformations are wearing him out!"

"Perfect," Chat Noir grins as he throws his hand up in the air. "CATACLYSM!"

Once his destructive ability is activated, Chat Noir slams his hand on the control panel, making the bus go crazy. The doors are opening and closing at random intervals and the vehicle is beeping loudly and continuously.

Ladybug throws her yoyo at Chat Noir the second the door opens up, and she grins victoriously when it wraps around his leg. She pulls him out of the bus when the door opens again, making Chat Noir roll out of it. He lands on his back painfully, and sends his rival a glare, who only laughs and scratches the back of her head.

Animan attempts to jump out the door, but only smashes into it as it closes in his face. The bus finally dies, locking the akumatized victim inside. He transforms into several other animals, like a bear and gorilla, but he still finds himself locked inside the bus.

"I think it's over," Ladybug grins when she sees Animan collapse through the window of the bus. The vehicle suddenly shakes, and the roof breaks open to reveal the head of a tyrannosaurus rex. It roars at them, making the two rivals blanch. "…I spoke too soon."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Chat Noir points at it. "They're extinct!"

"Clearly, that didn't stop him from transforming into one," Ladybug says, pulling Chat Noir out of the way before he could get eaten by the dinosaur.

The two superheroes sprint off, managing to find a good hiding spot behind a car. While Animan is turned away, Ladybug exclaims, "LUCKY CHARM!" A ladybug-patterned car jack falls into her hands, making her raise an eyebrow. "A car jack?"

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Chat Noir mocks. "You'll get your answer."

Rolling her eyes, Ladybug scans her environment, confused at the pattern given to her. "Guess that means I have to ground him," she says, standing up. Ladybug launches her yoyo at the dinosaur's feet, and her string wraps around them. This causes the animal to fall to the ground, and it wiggles in place to try to get back up, but to no avail.

"That's kind of weird," Ladybug says, holding up her Lucky Charm. "I didn't even need to use this."

"Then I'll just go ahead and grab that bracelet," Chat Noir says, walking up to Animan.

Ladybug looks down at the car jack, her eyes widening. "Chat Noir, _wait_!" she cries, pulling him by the tail before the dinosaur could chomp him. Chat Noir's lets out a gasp of fear when he realizes what could have happened had Ladybug not pulled him away in time.

"That was a close one," Chat Noir pants.

"Stay here," Ladybug smiles at him. "I know what to do." She sprints towards the dinosaur with a determined grin on her face, screaming, "Enjoy your meal!"

Chat Noir's eyes widen in horror when Ladybug jumps into the dinosaur's mouth.

" _LADYBUG_!" Chat Noir screams with a tone filled with heartbreak.

His entire world stops when it all sinks in. He collapses to the ground as moments he spent with Ladybug start playing in his mind.

He thinks of the first time they met—Ladybug crashing into him while attempting to swing from building to building. Ladybug groaning at the first pun he ever told her, Ladybug scowling whenever he throws an insult her way. Ladybug smiling at him while sitting at the top of the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug giving him chocolates. Ladybug kissing him on the cheek, Ladybug making up with him after their argument…

Chat Noir takes his staff out and clutches it tightly. "You're going to pay for this," he growls, getting back up on his feet.

The dinosaur's eyes suddenly shoot wide open, feeling his mouth being forced open. Chat Noir is confused at first, but he lets out a sigh of relief when he sees the familiar black and red pattern inside the dinosaur's mouth. Ladybug is opening up Animan's mouth with the car jack, and once it reaches its maximum, she hops out of its mouth. Animan tries chomping at her, but to no avail, thanks to her Lucky Charm. She grabs the akumatized item and throws it on the ground, and then proceeds to stomp on it, thus breaking it.

A black butterfly flutters out of the item, and Ladybug successfully catches it with her compact. "Bye bye, little butterfly," she says when a white butterfly flies out of it instead. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" she screams, throwing her Lucky Charm in the air. Magic dust swirls around them, fixing all that's broken and bringing everything back to normal.

"I got scared for a second there," Ladybug laughs when she walks over to Chat Noir. He stays silent, making Ladybug raise an eyebrow. "Chat Noir? What's wro—"

Ladybug gasps when Chat Noir pulls her into a hug.

"Don't ever do that again," he whispers into her ear, making her eyes widen.

When he lets go, Chat Noir looks away to avoid eye contact and immediately runs off before she could say anything. Ladybug watches him go with a surprised look on her face, which slowly fades and turns into a smile.

* * *

Adrien receives a call immediately after he lets go of his transformation. A picture of Nino appears on his screen, and he taps it to answer the call. He holds the phone up to his ear and says, "Hey Nino, did you get to clarify things with Marinette?"

"No, I haven't because—" Nino begins.

"Wait," Adrien interrupts. "Before you do… there's something I have to tell you concerning Marinette. I didn't want to tell you at first, but you have to know. I don't want it to come between us, and… just—do you think I can see you in person? I think I'd be more comfortable saying it to you face to face."

"Alright, but there's something I have to tell you too," Nino says. "Do you think you can meet at the front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery?"

Adrien's face blanches. "Uh, Marinette could be—"

"Don't worry, she isn't," he assures him. "She just left to pick up some ingredients for her parents. The coast is clear."

After a quick goodbye, Adrien hangs up and rushes to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. He sees Nino waiting for him outside, and he runs over to him when his best friend waves to him.

"Nino, look," Adrien begins, rubbing the nape of his neck. "About Marinette… I—"

The door of the bakery swings open to reveal Alya holding a brown bag in one hand, and a chocolate chip cookie in the other. She places the cookie in Nino's hand, who thanks her.

"Alya?!" Adrien exclaims in surprise.

"Hey, Adrien," Alya greets, digging her hand inside the bag. She takes out another cookie and holds it out to him. "Want one?"

"I'm good," Adrien says, and Alya takes a bite out of her snack. "What are you guys doing here… together?"

"Ladybug locked us up in a cage all afternoon," Alya explains, eating the rest of her cookie.

"Turns out we have a lot in common," Nino grins. "Oh yeah, what were you saying about Marinette?"

"Ooh, what _about_ Marinette?" Alya asks, wiggling her eyebrows. "Nino here told me _she_ was actually the one he liked. So nice of you to help him out, but what was that thing about not wanting it to come between you two?"

"Wha—you told her?!" Adrien screams at Nino, who cowers in fear.

"Hey, come on, it's just Alya," Nino defends, throwing an arm around her. "She's cool."

"And I think I know more than I should," Alya says, and Adrien gulps when he sees the glint in her eyes. "So, Marinette, huh?"

Nino's eyes widen when everything clicks. "No way," he says, slapping his forehead. "Now I know what people mean when they say that love makes you blind."

"What are you guys implying?" Adrien asks, trying to keep his guard.

"You like Marinette," Alya says in a sing-song voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Adrien says, walking off. Nino and Alya run to his sides, doing all they can to get something out of him.

"Come on, I see the way you look at her," Alya teases, nudging him.

"Why didn't you tell me you liked her, man?" Nino asks. "Now I just feel guilty!"

"I _don't_ like her," Adrien huffs. Nino and Alya don't fail to catch the blush dusting his cheeks, and they give each other a look.

"Who don't you like?"

They each turn around to see Marinette holding boxes of chocolate chips, baking powder, cinnamon and mini peanut butter cups.

Before Alya could blurt out anything embarrassing, Adrien asks, "Anyone ever told you not to butt into other people's business?" Marinette angrily throws the box of baking powder at his face, to which Adrien catches before it could hit him. He sticks out his tongue childishly, "Missed me."

"Come back here!" Marinette chases after him, picking up the box on the ground in the process.

Nino and Alya watch as Adrien runs away from Marinette with grins on their faces.

Alya laughs. "Oh, he's got it bad."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** The LadyNoir killed me, goodbye.

Thank you for the kind reviews, favorites and alerts! Shout-out to the sweet **Ladybugnkittychat** for your amazing idea about changing the magazine to one about Chat Noir instead of Adrien! :)

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 10  
Chat Noir: 9**

 _Next Episode: Antibug & Vanisher_


	19. Antibug and Vanisher: Forgive and Forget

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 19_

Antibug and Vanisher: Forgive and Forget

"Woah, look at Chloe," Marinette whispers to Alya. "She's a mess."

Not only did Chloe show up late that morning, but she looks like she hasn't slept a wink the night before. Her head is falling, begging for rest, when she suddenly jumps awake and tries to rub the tiredness out of her eyes, but to no avail.

It's an early Tuesday morning, and Mme Mendeleiev's class is working on an in-class assignment that has to be given in by the end of the period. Chloe doesn't seem to be working all too much—her mind is just focused on trying to stay awake.

"You think she misses Sabrina?" Marinette asks, eyeing the empty space next to Chloe.

"She _has_ been absent since yesterday…" Alya says, placing a finger on her chin.

Mme Mendeleiev walks by, shushing them on her away past. Alya and Marinette give her looks of apologizes, which turn into looks of surprise when they catch an invisible force pulling on Chloe's ponytail.

"Ow!" Chloe cries, rubbing her head to soothe the pain from the painful pull. She then looks around the place to find the culprit, but there's no one there.

"Is there something wrong, Chloe?" Mme Mendeleiev asks.

"Someone pulled my hair!" Chloe exclaims angrily. The teacher shoots Mylene, who's sitting behind the blonde, a stern look. Mylene only shakes her head at the accusation, and Chloe says, "It wasn't her! It was some—some kind of _invisible being_!"

The entire class goes silent, until everyone bursts out in laughter at Chloe's claim. Mme Mendeleiev looks at her class and orders, "Quiet down, all of you! Finish your work!"

The invisible being returns, and starts pulling on Chloe's white shoulder purse. "It's happening again!" she screeches, trying to pull her belongings back. The force suddenly lets go, making her fall to the floor.

"Chloe, get up!" Mme Mendeleiev shouts.

On the floor, Chloe is trying to shield herself while her purse continuously hits her over the head. "I can't! My purse is beating me up!" she answers, getting up and running across the classroom screaming.

Suddenly, Juleka's pen floats in the air, and gets thrown in Chloe's direction, barely missing her. Several other pens get thrown in her direction, and Chloe runs across one end of the classroom to the other, screaming in fear.

"Chloe, don't run in the classroom! Get back to your seat!" Mme Mendeleiev orders. Chloe is about to go to her seat, when the invisible presence returns and suddenly grabs hold of her white sunglasses. She grabs her glasses and tries to fight for it, accidentally tripping over her books and landing on top of the teacher's desk. The force abandons the sunglasses and instead goes on to tug at Chloe's stray hairs. "Compose yourself, Ms. Bourgeois!"

The class watches in awe as Chloe runs out of the room, waving her hands in front of her to stop the invisible figure from hurting her. When the door closes, it reopens and closes when the presence passes by, and the door shuts behind it resoundingly.

Marinette looks down at her purse, to see her kwami popping her head out of it. "Tikki," she says. "We have to get out of here—"

"I have to go to the washroom," Adrien says, excusing himself out of the class.

Marinette shoots her hand up almost immediately after. "So do I!" she exclaims. Marinette exits the classroom and jogs to the washroom to be able to transform. She opens the door to reveal various heinous drawings of Chloe drawn all over the stalls and walls.

"Somebody seems to have it in for Chloe," Tikki says at the sight of the walls.

"The hard part's going to be finding the person who doesn't," Marinette mutters. Her cellphone suddenly goes off, and she checks her screen to see she received a text message. She opens it up to find pictures of Chloe is distress—specifically, pictures of her sudden attack earlier. "As much as I enjoy seeing Chloe this way—"

"Marinette," Tikki says sternly.

"I'm kidding! Kinda," she mumbles the last part. "Let's go save her. TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

* * *

"An attack against Chloe is like an attack against Paris!" Mayor Bourgeois says to the camera. At the end of his sentence, Ladybug and Chat Noir jump into the scene at the same time.

"What's happening?" Chat Noir asks coolly. The mayor rushes to the two superheroes, and rushes them into the Grand Hotel de Paris. They get to the tallest room of the building—Chloe's suite—but the blonde is nowhere in sight.

Until: " _Ladybug_!" Ladybug turns around, only to get glomped by Chloe. "I knew you'd come to rescue me! You know, especially considering how close we are!" the blonde exclaims. Ladybug desperately tries to push Chloe away, but the more she pushes, the more Chloe forces herself on her.

Chat Noir only smirks at the sight before him—it's nice being ignored by Chloe once in a while. Since Ladybug is pretty much trapped, he decides to go with the investigation. He walks over to Chloe's closet and opens it to find empty boxes and an empty rack just full of hangers. He opens up her drawers and finds nothing in them.

"Someone stole all of my daughter's designer clothes, and it's absolutely _terrible_ ," Mayor Bourgeois cries. "Can you imagine _my daughter_ wearing _department store_ clothing?! Insane!"

Ladybug kneels down to take a closer look at the empty boxes, groaning when Chloe takes various pictures and selfies with her without permission.

She then stands up and turns on Chloe's wall-sized television, and asks, "Have you has any arguments with anyone lately?" Ladybug asks.

"Of course not. No one ever disagrees with me," Chloe says, placing a hand on her chest. "Everyone _adores_ me!"

Ladybug sees a picture frame on the floor and picks it up to see that it's a picture of Chloe and Sabrina. They both have their arms around each other's shoulders, but Sabrina is looking down at the sparkly, jeweled brooch pinned to her sweater.

"Are you sure you haven't had any recent arguments with anyone?" Ladybug asks again, handing Chloe the picture. "Not even with your closest friend?"

Chloe scoffs at the picture, and drops it. "Pfft, _Sabrina_? Impossible—she adores me the most," Chloe answers cockily. "I'm her idol."

Ladybug groans. She then walks over to the mayor and says, "Your daughter will be safe here with the doors and windows locked. This enemy may be invisible, but it can't go through walls."

Chloe glomps Ladybug again, making the superhero extremely uncomfortable as she pushes her away again. "I _know_ you'll make my life perfect again!" Chloe exclaims.

With a roll of her eyes, Ladybug walks out of the door, and Chat Noir follows right after. They both head to the elevator in silence—Ladybug with an annoyed expression on her face, and Chat Noir with a smirk on his.

Inside the elevator, Ladybug notices her rival's smirk and asks, "Now, what's that stupid smile on your face for?"

"No reason," he says, his smirk getting wider. When the elevator doors open, Chat Noir looks out and his face brightens at the sight of the employee standing by the front desk. He runs up to him, and Ladybug follows. "I have a few questions for you about Chloe Bourgeois, if you don't mind," Chat Noir tells the worker. "Whatever you say will be kept secret."

The employee looks around the room before whispering to Chat Noir, "Okay. I will answer whatever you ask. But please, do not say a word to Ms. Bourgeois."

"Got it," Chat Noir says. "So, the past few days, did she have any arguments with anyone?"

"She did," the man answers. "Ms. Chloe and Sabrina like to cosplay as Ladybug and Chat Noir." Chat Noir looks over at Ladybug and almost laughs at the face she's making. He then turns to the employee, who continues, "I was playing the akumatized victim that day, Big Mustachio."

"…Big Mustachio?" Chat Noir asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice," Ladybug says. "Creative name."

"Ladybug."

" _Chat Noir_."

"It was Ms. Chloe's idea," the worker says. "Big Mustachio wants all Parisians to be faced with heinous mustaches."

"Wow. What a _hairy_ situation—" Chat Noir begins, making finger guns. Ladybug slaps her forehead. "Anyways, please go on."

* * *

 _Big Mustachio enters the room to find reporter Nadja Chamack interviewing famous rockstar Jagged Stone. The disguised employee is spotted by the interviewer and interviewee, but simply ignores the looks they throw at him and hides behind a wall._

 _Chloe and Sabrina suddenly come running inside the room, and Chloe exclaims, "Jagged Stone?!" when her eyes land on him._

" _Ladybug?" Jagged Stone asks, making Chloe confused for a split second. She then looks down at her attire, and a wide grin spreads across her face when she realizes she's in her Ladybug cosplay. "What are you doing here?"_

" _When I found out you were here, I just_ knew _you wanted to see me!" Chloe lies as Sabrina shyly waves hi to the superstar. "I had to come say hello."_

" _Well, you did the right thing," Jagged Stone says. "What's with your hair though? Where are the pigtails?"_

" _U-uh… that's…" Chloe quickly makes up a lie when the camera points at her. "My old hairstyle was_ so _yesterday! I mean, isn't this color and hairstyle so much nicer?" She walks over to Jagged Stone and takes a seat next him, accidentally whipping his face with her hair while trying to show it off. "Well, I have a few minutes to spare. Don't you want to interview_ me _?"_

 _Jagged Stone glares at her. "Wait, I thought you just came by to say hi to me?" he asks._

" _I did!" Chloe exclaims. "Now, where were we?"_

* * *

"She pretended she was _me_?!" Ladybug screams angrily. "How often does that happen?!"

"She idolizes you," the man answers.

* * *

" _Chloe! I found Big Mustachio!" Sabrina exclaims, dragging the akumatized victim cosplayer into the room._

" _Chloe?!" Jagged Stone exclaims. "I_ knew _Ladybug was acting different!"_

" _You're not Ladybug!" Nadja says, taking away the paper Chloe was autographing. "You're a_ fake _!"_

" _No, I'm not! I_ am _Ladybug!" Chloe exclaims, getting up from her seat. "Just watch me!' She takes out a ladybug-printed yoyo and attempts to do tricks with it, but fails miserably as it hits Jagged Stone's pet crocodile over the head. The angry reptile reacts by biting the yoyo, causing the string to snap and whip Chloe's face. The blonde lets out a shriek of pain, and runs off when Jagged Stone and Nadja Chamack laugh at her._

 _While running past, she sends Sabrina a death glare and throws her Ladybug mask in her face. Sabrine runs after her with a guilty and worried expression on her face._

 _Chloe swings the door to the room with intensity, and Sabrina follows inside after. "But Chloe, how was I supposed to know?" Sabrina frowns._

" _That's the problem—you_ don't _know anything!" Chloe screams. "That crocodile has a larger brain than_ you _! Get out! I never want to see you again!" She throws the leftover yoyo string in Sabrina's face, and the redhead sniffs before walking out the door._

* * *

"Ms. Chloe argues with Sabrina all the time," the employee says. "Well, I wouldn't say argue exactly. Ms. Chloe just screams at Sabrina the entire time, and Sabrina just apologizes even when she did nothing wrong. It happens all the time, but this time, it was different. Sabrina came back the next day…"

* * *

" _Ms. Chloe, Sabrina is here," the worker announces, letting the redhead into the room._

" _Sabrina who?" Chloe answers, looking out the window. "I don't know any Sabrina."_

" _But… of course you do, Chloe," Sabrina cries. "It's me—your best friend!" She takes off her bejeweled brooch and holds it out in front of her._

" _You should talk to her, Ms. Chloe," the employee says upon approaching her. "She's right here."_

 _Chloe turns around and sends her a piercing, cold glare. "I don't see anyone," Chloe sneers. "She must have_ vanished _. As far as I'm concerned, she doesn't even_ exist _."_

 _Tears trickle down Sabrina's face as she turns around to let herself out the door._

* * *

"The Vanisher is obviously Sabrina then," Ladybug tells Chat Noir.

"Yeah, like I couldn't figure _that_ one out," Chat Noir snickers, laughing at the glare Ladybug shoots him.

Ladybug then turns to the worker and says, "You've been a great help to us. Thank you." After a quick nod, the man disappears up the stairs.

She walks away, and Chat Noir follows, but not before picking a red rose out of one of the vases. He catches up to Ladybug and presents it to her. "For you, _My Lady_ ," he teases.

Ladybug eyes him suspiciously before taking the flower. "So, you're a flower type of guy?" she asks, looking down at it with a hint of a smile on her face. Chat Noir gave her a rose—a _red_ one. She doesn't want to get her hopes up, but… could it be that he _doesn't_ hate her as much anymore…?

"Not really," Chat Noir admits.

"Really? Why not?" Ladybug asks, smelling the rose. It smells fresh and sweet, as expected from a place as prestigious as the Grand Hotel de Paris.

"Just because," Chat Noir shrugs. And then he smirks, and Ladybug's eyes scream _don't do it_. "I don't know what it _stems_ from, but—"

Ladybug throws the flower in his face, making it fall to the floor. "You're actually the worst," Ladybug groans, walking away. But Chat Noir runs up to her and grins when he sees a smile break out on her face.

"That's not what you said at the top of the Eiffel Tower," Chat Noir says, clasping his hands together and continuing in a high-pitched voice, "Chat Noir, you're so amazing! I admire you so much! You're the best!"

"I do _not_ sound like that," Ladybug scowls.

"Yes, you do—" Chat Noir stops when he hears shuffling behind him. He whips his head around, and he raises an eyebrow to see the rose he gave Ladybug tucked in the closest vase when it should be on the _floor_. "Wait. That's not right," Chat Noir says, turning to look at Ladybug. His eyes widen when he sees the strands of hair near Ladybug's earrings moving on its own. His gaze hardens and he pulls his staff out, hitting the spot he guessed the Vanisher was standing in. He only hits thin air. "Show yourself!" he screams.

" _Idiot_ , she's invisible—"

"That was the joke, _dimwit_."

"What did you call me?!"

Chat Noir and Ladybug start spinning their weapons to ward off the Vanisher, blocking every item thrown in their direction. "That does it!" Ladybug screams, throwing her yoyo in the air. "LUCKY CHARM!" A miniature jar of glitter falls into her hands. "Is this… glitter?"

"Looking for me, Sabrina?" Chat Noir and Ladybug look up to see Chloe at the top of the stairs wearing her Ladybug costume. "I'm right here!"

"Seriously?!" Ladybug groans. "Chloe, you need to leave! Right _now_!"

Chloe ignores the superheroine and starts heading down the stairs. "If you stop this ridiculousness right now, I might let you be my best friend again," she says.

A book on the counter floats in mid-air and a voice follows, saying, "You've got no friends left, Chloe. And I'll make sure you never have any again. I'll make people see how you _really_ are— _rotten_ inside and out!"

Ladybug pushes Chloe out of the way to prevent her from getting smacked on the face with the book. As the Vanisher continues to throw items at the blonde, Chat Noir blocks each attack with his staff while Ladybug talks to Chloe.

"This isn't a game, Chloe!" Ladybug scolds, shaking the blonde's shoulders. The Vanisher comes running at Ladybug and grabs her, trapping her in a strong hold.

"It's over, Ladybug!" the Vanisher screams.

"Not quite," Ladybug says, dropping the Lucky Charm in her hand. She kicks it into the air with her knee and bends down, showering the akumatized victim with the glitter. Ladybug then escapes from her grip and smirks when she could see a form covered in the pink sparkles.

"Just because you can see me now doesn't mean you can defeat me, Ladybug!" the Vanisher exclaims.

"She can't, but _I_ can!" Chat Noir says, pounding his staff on the ground in front of her. He makes a fighting stance and starts fighting her with his weapon.

While her rival fights the villain off, Ladybug runs and grabs Chloe's arm. She pulls her all the way to the counter and hides her behind it. "You, stay here— _don't move_!" Ladybug says sternly, pointing at her.

"This concerns me too, you know!" Chloe says before Ladybug leaves.

"You'll just make things worse for me and Chat Noir!" Ladybug screams after her before getting back into battle. "The akuma must be in her bag!" Ladybug tells her rival.

Hearing this, Chloe leaps out of her hiding spot and screams, "Ladybug, wait! I don't think that's where the akuma is!" Chloe spins her yoyo in the same fashion as her idol, but she ends up letting it go, making it hit the Vanisher over the head.

"So, you want to fight after all, Chloe?" the Vanisher asks, turning around. Through gritted teeth, Ladybug wraps her yoyo string around Chloe and pulls her out of the way. She presses the button to open up the elevator and throws Chloe inside once the doors slide open.

"Ladybug, wait! The akuma isn't in her bag!" Chloe exclaims. "It has to be in the designer pin I got her—it's on her sweater! Such an unfortunate _ugly_ sweater… Anyways, the pin was a gift from me! It must've been akumatized because it meant a lot to her!"

Hearing this, Chat Noir attacks the Vanisher with his staff and tries fighting her off to finally bring an end to all this. He forgets about Ladybug's guess of the akuma being in Sabrina's bag and instead aims for the pin on her shirt.

"Listen up, Chloe," Ladybug says angrily, placing a hand on her hip. "I've said this too many times already, and you still don't listen! You're putting yourself in great danger and us too, so I want you gone _now_!" Ladybug presses an elevator button, and glares at the blonde until the doors slide close.

"Why aren't you listening to me?! The akuma's in her pin!" Chloe cries before her voice fades as she goes up the elevator.

When the doors close, Ladybug sighs, "That's better." While Chat Noir and Vanisher are fighting, Ladybug manages to pull the Vanisher bag off her shoulder. Grinning victoriously, she says, "It's over for you, akuma!" She rips the bag, and several of the villain's items fall out, but a black butterfly doesn't appear. "Wha…?!"

"How dare you!" the Vanisher screams, ready to charge at the superheroine, but Chat Noir trips her with his extended staff, making her fall to the floor. He then performs a flip in the air, grabbing the pin on her sweater in the process.

"One more point for Chat Noir," he says, dropping the item and crushing it with his staff, and a black butterfly flies out of it. Chat Noir takes his staff out and catches it when the ball of green energy shines at the end of his weapon. The butterfly is purified, dipped in white, and it flies away, purified from evil.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir exclaims, hitting the end of his staff against the tiles of the hotel. Magic dust swirls around the entire city, and the invisible turns visible once again.

"H-huh? What happened?" Sabrina asks, groaning at the painful drumming in her head. She then looks down to see her designer on the floor. She picks it up and holds it close to her chest. "My pin! It's all right!"

Ladybug turns to Chat Noir to tell him that he did a good job, when she sees him shoot a glare at her. "What's wrong with you?" he asks.

"What are you talking about?" Ladybug asks.

"Why didn't you listen to Chloe? She was only trying to help," Chat Noir defends. "Come to think of it, you're always so bitter when she's around."

"How can I not be when she acts selfishly like this?" Ladybug argues. "She nearly put us in danger, and she even completely lied to us earlier! I was _not_ going to listen to a liar." Ladybug approaches the de-akumatized victim and asks, "Are you all right?"

Sabrina nods and gets on her feet, following Ladybug and Chat Noir out of the Grand Hotel de Paris, where a group of news reporters and cameramen await the superheroes.

"Ladybug!"

"Chat Noir!"

"Who caught the akuma this time?"

"Was it you, Ladybug?" asks a reporter, practically shoving a microphone in her face. "Did you catch the akuma?"

Ladybug shakes her head. "Chat Noir did," she answers, pointing over to her rival. She smiles at him as she watches him talk and joke in front of the camera. "Chat Noir can do so much. He really is a great part—I-I mean, rival."

Her earrings make two warning beeps, and she backs away, saying, "Uh, excuse me, I have to go!" She spins her yoyo, ready to launch it in the air, when she catches sight of a person wearing a color-reserved Ladybug costume.

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have defeated the Vanisher!" they cackle. "And now, I'm going to defeat _you_ , Ladybug!"

"Chloe?!" Ladybug and Chat Noir exclaim at the same time.

"Wrong," the akumatized victim says, jumping off her place on the hotel's canopy. "I'm _Antibug_."

"I'm about to de-transform," Ladybug says, biting her lip when another warning beep resounds from her earrings.

"But I'm not," Chat Noir says, taking his staff out.

"Just look at that," Antibug snickers. "She's _nothing_ without Chat Noir."

"I'll be back for you, Antibug. Just you wait!" Ladybug says, swinging out of the scene.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Chat Noir says, extending his silver staff. "Let's get this over with already. I need one more point to beat Ladybug on the tally board."

"Alright, I love a good cat fight," Antibug says, throwing her yoyo at him. Chat Noir deflects it with his staff and hops up to the roof of the hotel, making her follow him all the way to the top.

Halfway through the fight, Chat Noir finds himself hesitating at every action he makes. Chloe may be akumatized, but it's still _Chloe_ —his first friend. His only friend before he got transferred into École Francoise-Dupont.

He didn't want to hurt her.

* * *

An exhausted Tikki falls into Marinette's hands when the black-haired girl's transformation wears off. Marinette quickly digs a hand in her bag and gasps when she realizes she's out of emergency cookies. "I don't have any food for you, Tikki!" she cries.

"It's okay, Marinette," Tikki pants. "You'll find something."

"I'll try," Marinette says. She takes her phone out to get updated on what's going on between Chat Noir and Antibug to see the two fighting on the roof of the Grand Hotel de Paris. "Oh, this is all my fault!"

"You don't have to do everything by yourself, you know," Tikki says, resting on her wielder's shoulder. "You have to learn to listen to others from time to time."

"But not liars," Marinette scowls. She pokes her head out of the corner and looks over at the entrance of the hotel. "Let's go find you something to eat in the hotel."

Marinette manages to sneak past the police officer outside, and she runs into the hotel's kitchen the moment she enters the building. She looks around the place, face lighting up when she sees three plates full on freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. She takes one and hands it to her kwami, who takes a huge bite out of it.

"Thank you," the kwami says, and Marinette smiles down at her. She takes the elevator and punches the button leading to the roof, and she looks over the rails to try to see where Chat Noir and Antibug are. Marinette gasps when she sees Antibug dangling Chat Noir over the edge of the building, the superhero all tied up around his own staff.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette cries silently. She looks down at her kwami and says, "Hurry up, Tikki!"

"I'm eating as fast as I can!" Tikki says with her mouth full.

"Aren't you tired of being known as _second best_ to Ladybug?" Antibug asks Chat Noir.

"Aren't you tired of _copying_ Ladybug?" Chat Noir spits back with a straight face.

"Listen, Chat Noir," Antibug says, and her scowl is still present on her face after hearing the black cat hero's comment. "Become partners with me."

"I'm not even partners with Ladybug, why would I be partners with you?" Chat Noir asks, his face straight and bored. He doesn't appear to look the _tiniest_ bit scared to be dangling thirty stories in the air. He couldn't help but hold himself back when he was fighting against Chloe. He didn't want to attack her no matter how much she attacks him.

In Plagg's words, he's such a softie.

"Good point. Who'd want to be partners with Ladybug anyway?" Antibug snorts. "She's selfish, she doesn't listen to others, and she takes all the credit, leaving you to be overlooked and forgotten. And where is she now? She's nowhere to be found—she doesn't even come back to help you. She's _useless_. She's a _coward_."

Chat Noir's fists clench at the familiarity of Antibug's taunt. "Don't talk about her that way," he says darkly. "Ladybug is _nothing_ like that. She can be selfish at times, she may be stubborn, and she may get most of the credit, but _I don't care_."

Marinette looks down at Chat Noir in surprise.

"Ladybug continues to believe in me no matter how many times I mess up. I have a big mouth, and I wouldn't blame her if she just gave up on me and never looked back. But she never did," Chat Noir says. "She always compliments me and does her best to save the day—she's nowhere near being _useless_."

"She's still a coward though," Antibug scoffs.

"A coward? You think she's a coward?" Chat Noir asks, glaring at her with one eye. "No. You know who the coward is? _Me_." He shakes his head. "I can't even thank her properly. My thoughts always contradict my actions, and all I do is hurt her over and over. I'm scared of being partners with her. I'm scared of letting her know what I really think about her. I'm so scared of showing other people how I really am. _I'm_ the coward. It was never her."

Chat Noir looks down at the ground, thinking that his next words might cause him to fall, but he doesn't care. He has to defend Ladybug.

"And you know what, Chloe? _You're_ a coward too," Chat Noir says, making Antibug's jaw drop.

" _What_ did you call me?!" she screams, stomping her foot.

"You're so scared of admitting that you're wrong, that everyone hates you, that despite what you think, you're _not_ the best," Chat Noir says. "You're my friend, Chloe. But not when you act like this."

Face flushed with anger, Antibug is about to make him fall, when she hears, "Chat Noir can do so much. He really is a great part—I-I mean, rival."

"Ladybug," Antibug spits. She carefully places one of the couches on the roof on top of Chat Noir's staff to stop him from falling, making him let out a sigh of relief. When Antibug runs off, Marinette jumps out of her hiding spot and starts pulling Chat Noir's staff to get him back on solid ground. She unties his feet once he's close enough, and then helps him over the rails.

"Marinette?" Chat Noir asks in surprise when he sees her. "I thought you were Ladybug, I'm sorry. Thank you for helping me."

"No problem, Chat Noir," Marinette says with a blush. "Um, did you… mean all that you said about Ladybug earlier?"

Chat Noir's face becomes a fireball. "You heard that?!" he cries, and she nods slowly. He doesn't know what to answer because the girl he likes is right in front of him—the one who asked him the question—and he didn't want her to think he liked Ladybug when he liked her. "Well, I mean…" he sighs. "I do. _But don't think I like her_. Ladybug works hard too. She doesn't deserve to be bad-mouthed like that."

"That's nice to hear. You're very kind, Chat Noir," Mairnette smiles. "Go save the day!"

"I will," Chat Noir grins, watching Marinette hide. Antibug returns and gasps when she sees Chat Noir free. "Ready for round two?"

Marinette watches as Chat Noir and Antibug disappear up to the roof, and she exclaims, "It worked!"

"I'm good to go, Marinette!" Tikki exclaims, flying out of her wielder's purse, full of energy.

Marinette nods. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

* * *

"Come here, kitty," Antibug coos. "Why don't you hand me your ring?"

"Sorry, I don't take orders from a copycat," Chat Noir smirks, blocking her yoyo attacks with his staff. He's about to block another one, when a red and black polka-dotted yoyo hits the reverse-colored yoyo instead.

"Nice yoyo, but mine's better." Chat Noir turns around to find Ladybug standing there with a grin on her face. "Missed me, Chat?"

"I missed it when you weren't here," Chat Noir smirks. "The akuma's in her earrings, I think."

Ladybug raises an eyebrow. "No, it's in her yoyo," she argues.

"Why are you so stubborn today?" Chat Noir asks. "Why won't you listen to others?"

His words hit Ladybug and her arms drop to her sides. "You're right," she says quietly. "I'm sorry."

A black and red polka-dotted yoyo comes in between them, and it latches onto the retractable pool cover. Antibug pulls on her string, making the cover slide over the pool, and she runs across it to get to where her opponents are standing. While she's standing over the pool, Ladybug is safely standing on the roof's grounds.

"UNLUCKY CHARM!" Antibug screams as she throws her yoyo in the air. A black a red polka-dotted buster sword falls into her hands, making Ladybug's face blanch. "Try to defeat me now, Ladybug!"

"I've got this," Chat Noir tells Ladybug before she could cast her Lucky Charm. When he sees exactly where Antibug is standing, he throws his hand up in the air and screams, "CATACLYSM!"

He punches the pool's retractable cover and it cracks, making Antibug fall through and trapping her inside. She accidentally lets go of her sword out of surprise, allowing Chat Noir to catch it with his staff.

"I'll take this," Chat Noir says, launching it towards the Eiffel Tower. It stabs one of the iron pillars, and it stays stuck there, preventing Antibug from getting it back.

"Now, for your yoyo," Ladybug says, grabbing the akumatized victim's yoyo. She smashes it on the floor, but no butterfly flies out of it, making her gape in shock.

"Told you," Chat Noir sighs, performing a flip and ripping Antibug's earrings out of her ears. He crushes the earrings with his foot, and as expected, a black butterfly flutters out of the broken items. For the second time that day, Chat Noir paints a butterfly milky white.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir exclaims, hitting the end of his staff against the floor. Magic dust swirls all over the place, and a black and violet envelops Antibug, turning her back into Chloe.

"What am I doing here?" Chloe asks, eyes widening when she spots Ladybug. "Ladybug?"

"Chloe, I…" Ladybug turns to the blonde with a guilty expression on her face. "I'm sorry for earlier. I could've defeated Vanisher sooner if I had just listened to you. I hope you forgive me."

"Oh, well, in that case," Chloe smiles, clasping her hands together. "I might just have to stay your most devoted fan after all!"

"So, you forgive me?" Ladybug asks.

"Of course!" Chloe exclaims, and Ladybug smiles at how considerate Chloe _can_ be at times.

"Can you just promise me one thing?" Ladybug asks, and Chloe nods. "Make up with your friend, Sabrina."

"Well… since it's coming from Ladybug," Chloe grins. "I will."

* * *

The next day at school, Alya is complaining to Marinette over how Chat Noir caught _two_ akumas, but she _still_ didn't get to see him capture the butterfly with his staff.

"I haven't seen him capture it _once_ ," Alya cries, scrolling through all the messages she's getting on her Miraculous Chat. "My followers are really disappointed with me."

"I'm sure you'll catch him soon," Marinette says, placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder. The bell suddenly rings, signaling five minutes before class, and Chloe walks into the classroom.

"Hey, look," Alya says, nodding over at Chloe. "It's Antibug." Chloe walks to her seat and sits down with her arms crossed. Sabrina walks into the classroom seconds after she does, and Alya laughs, "And here comes Vanisher. Now, all we need is Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Sabrina walks over to her usual seat and just stands there, looking down sadly. "Well?" Chloe asks the redhead. "What are you doing? Sit down."

Sabrina's face lights up, and she takes her seat next to her best friend. When she does, Chloe subtly smiles in her direction.

"Did you see that?!" Marinette asks Alya. "Chloe _smiled_. And it wasn't one out of mockery or insult! I think she's genuinely happy to have Sabrina back."

Sabrina takes her tablet out and before she could place it on the desk, Chloe slides a new designer pin in front of her. "I got you something," Chloe coughs. "Put in on your sweater. It'll make it less ugly."

Sabrina nods and pins it to her sweater. "Oh, thank you, Chloe!" she exclaims.

"Whatever," Chloe says, but no one can miss the smile on her face.

"I think they'll always be best friends, in their own way," Marinette says.

"I prefer _our_ way," Alya says, high-fiving her best friend.

Sabrina may be forgiven, but Marinette wonders the entire day if Chat Noir would forgive Ladybug.

* * *

Later that evening, at the top of the Eiffel Tower, Chat Noir and Ladybug meet up after patrol.

"I'm sorry, Chat Noir," Ladybug frowns, breaking the silence between them. "I messed up today. I'm so careless. I never listen to anyone, and you almost got severely hurt because of me."

She's expecting to be yelled at. She's expecting an insult, a flick on the forehead, a roll of the eyes.

But she gets none of those.

"It's all right," Chat Noir instead answers with a small smile on his face. "I forgive you."

"…You're acting weird."

"Wow. That's the last time I'm nice to you."

Ladybug laughs, and Chat Noir laughs along with her.

"You know," he thinks to himself. "Maybe she isn't so bad after all."

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Prepare yourselves for next chapter. Get your heart ready. ;)

Thank you for the favorites, alerts and reviews! Shout-out to the adorable **pinksakura271** for her idea about Chat Noir defending Ladybug if Antibug were to say something bad about her! AND I'M SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. ;A;

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 10  
Chat Noir: 11**

 _Next Episode: The Puppeteer_


	20. The Puppeteer: Heartstrings

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 20_

The Puppeteer: Heartstrings

"Here I am, My Lady!" a plushie of Chat Noir says, bowing down in a teasing fashion.

"It's nice to see you again, Chat Noir," a plushie of Ladybug says with a little jump. "Come on, we have to go save the day!"

"You mean _I_ have to go save the day," plushie-Chat Noir says. "We're not partners!"

Marinette giggles at the two plushies in her hands at the end of the conversation she made both toys have. She's babysitting Manon that Saturday morning, and they decided to play with her homemade stuffed toys. Marinette sewed plushies of Ladybug and Chat Noir, as well as the akumatized versions of three of her classmates. She's planning on sewing the akumatized version of everyone in her class, and so far, she made Nathanael (Evillustrator), Alya (Lady Wifi), and Kim (Dark Cupid).

They're the three villains who stand out to her the most, and her mission with Chat Noir during those three events mean the most to her. She partnered up with Chat Noir (as Marinette) for the first time ever when Nathanael became the Evillustrator. Her best friend Alya was transformed into Lady Wifi. As for Dark Cupid…

Marinette's cheeks heat up at the thought of the kiss, but she quickly shakes her head to forget about it. She coughs, and then continues says in a deeper voice to imitate Chat Noir's, "We're not partners! We're rivals!"

"He wouldn't say that!" Manon cries, pointing at Chat Noir.

"No?" Marinette asks, a bit confused because that's something Chat Noir _would_ say. Manon shakes her head, and Marinette continues, "O-oh, well, uh—let's go, Ladybug! We have to stop the baddies before they…" She pauses. "What do the baddies want?"

"We want to win!" Manon exclaims, throwing her arms up in the air. She has the Evillustrator in one hand and Dark Cupid in the other, while Lady Wifi sits on her lap.

"Yes, but win what?" Marinette asks.

Manon blinks. "I don't know. What _do_ they usually want?"

"It depends," Marinette says, putting her Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls aside to pick up the villain dolls. She holds up each plushie she talks about, saying, "Lady Wifi wanted to reveal Ladybug's true identity, and Evillustrator wanted to get revenge on a girl for making fun of him. Then, there was Dark Cupid, who wanted to erase the love in people's hearts. But the evil Hawkmoth who makes them bad wants to take Ladybug's earrings and Chat Noir's ring from them! These are called the Miraculous!"

"And what would happen if he did get them?" Manon asks.

"The bad guys would win," Marinette says, taking her Ladybug and Chat Noir plushies and giving them to Manon. "Here, I'll give you an example. You play with the rivals this round." Marinette picks up the Dark Cupid stuffed toy and says in a deeper voice, "I want to erase the love and happiness in your hearts, Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

"Oh, I get it! I know!" Manon grins proudly. "I know what the bad guys want! They want the Miraculous so that they'll win! They want to get the Miraculous of the goody two-shoeses! Then Ladybug and Chat Noir will be super-duper sorry!"

"That's right!" Marinette laughs. She takes the doll's arms and makes it look like he shot an arrow in the rivals' direction.

Manon makes the Chat Noir plushie jump in front of Ladybug before falling to the floor. "I got hit!" Manon exclaims in a deeper voice. The Ladybug plushie comes rushing to his side and Manon exclaims in a higher voice, "Chat Noir! Why did you save me? Why did you do that again?"

"Because I…" Manon face evidently brightens and she exclaims, "Because I hate you, Ladybug!"

Marinette pauses, putting her akumatized victim plushies down. "You've got it wrong, Manon," she says. "Chat Noir is supposed to fall in love with Ladybug because he… hates her."

"I don't think he does!" Manon says, holding Chat Noir up. "I think he's just pretending he does. I think he actually really does like Ladybug!"

"But he doesn't. Unless Kim gets re-akumatized, we'll never know," Marinette says, placing the villain plushies in Manon's lap. She takes the Ladybug and Chat Noir plushies and says, "Here, let me show you—"

"No! Give them back!" Manon cries. "It's not fair! If you're Ladybug and Chat Noir, you'll win! You _always_ win!" The little girl starts sobbing on Marinette's pink and white polka-dotted couch, and Marinette feels guilty at the sight of the crying child.

"Ladybug and Cat Noir always win, and the bad guys always lose," Marinette says.

"But you never let me play with Ladybug and Chat Noir!" Manon sobs.

"Oh, don't cry, Manon," Marinette says, looking down at her plushies. "Here, you can play with Ladybug and Chat Noir. I'll even let you borrow one of them if you want." She places the Ladybug doll in Manon's hands, who looks down at it with eyes still full of tears.

Nadja Chamack appears from behind the trap door and enters Marinette's room, surprising Manon. "I'm back, Manon. Have you been a good girl?" she asks her daughter.

Manon comes running to her mother and hugs her legs. "Mommy! Marinette didn't let me win!" she sobs, making Marinette wince for being thrown under the bus just like that.

"Oh Manon, you can't always expect to win," Nadja Chamack sighs. "That's just how things are."

"Yes, you can! Ladybug and Chat Noir always win!" Manon argues, stomping her foot.

"Well, you're right there," Mrs. Chamack says. "But they're superheroes. They have to win to keep us all safe from danger."

"You'll win next time Manon," Marinette says.

"Alright, now give the doll back to Marinette," Mrs. Chamack says, attempting to get the Ladybug plushie out of her daughter's hands.

" _No_! I want to keep it!" Manon yells, pulling away and bringing the doll closer to her chest. "It's _mine_!"

"She can if she wants, I told her she could borrow it," Marinette kindly tells Mrs. Chamack.

"And that's sweet of you Marinette," Nadja says. "But Manon already has so many toys at home. I wouldn't even know where to put it. I'd hate to lose it." She takes one of the Ladybug plushie's arm and pulls on it gently. "Give it to me, Manon."

" _No_!" Manon yells, pulling it harder. The doll's arm rips off, and little bits of fluff pour out of it. "Oh, no!"

"Look what you've done Manon! Give it to me!" Nadja Chamack scolds, taking the plushie out of her hands. "I'm sorry, Marinette."

"Oh, it's nothing. I can just sew it up again! It's no problem, really," Marinette says, taking the teared stuffed toy out of her hands.

"Thank goodness," Mrs. Chamack sighs in relief. She then takes her daughter's hand and says, "Manon, we're leaving now. Say goodbye to Marinette."

"I. Want. That. _DOLL_!" Manon screams disrespectfully at her mother, pulling her hand away. "I want it!"

"I said no," her mother says. "You can play with it here, next time you come." Mrs. Chamack picks Manon up, who cries on her mother's shoulder. Marinette waves goodbye as the two head down the stairs, and Manon whispers a soft goodbye before she disappears downstairs.

Marinette walks over to her desk and takes out her sewing kit to sew her Ladybug plushie back together. She turns around when she hears her trap door suddenly swing open, and she sees Manon standing there with her backpack in hand.

"Manon? What are you—" Marinette begins.

"I forgot my backpack up here!" Manon says, picking up her toy wand and running up to Marinette with her open bag. "Can I have Ladybug?"

Marinette looks down at her stuffed toy. "You heard what your mom said," she sighs. "I can't—"

"She wouldn't know if I hide it!" Manon pleads. "Please, Marinette?"

"Sorry, but I have to sew her up," Marinette says. "And I wouldn't want to trouble your mom—"

" _Preeetty please?_ " Manon asks, widening her eyes and pouting cutely.

"Don't do it. Don't—not the…!" Marinette cries, and Manon pouts deeper. "Baby doll eyes!" Marinette covers her eyes, and takes a quick look at the plushies on her table. She spots Tikki hiding behind one of her books, and the kwami pokes her head out to mouth _no_ to her wielder. But Marinette takes one more look at Manon and sees her baby doll eyes, and that's it—she's given in. (Marinette sighs at how weak she is).

"Fine, you can borrow Lady Wifi," Marinette says, handing the plushie to Manon. The little girl stuffs it in her backpack, and then looks up again.

"Can I borrow Ladybug?" she asks.

"Hurry up Manon! We have to stop by the station!" Nadja Chamack calls out from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" Manon exclaims. Before running down the stairs, she waves goodbye to Marinette with a grin on her face. "Thank you, Marinette!"

When the little girl exits her room, Marinette buries her face in her hands. "Oh, Marinette," Tikki sighs. "You have to stop being such a pushover all the time."

"I know," Marinette groans. "It's the baby doll eyes. I can't say no to them." The ladybug kwami laughs while patting her wielder's back.

* * *

Alya and Marinette rush down the stairs of the subway, panting when they make it to the bottom. They're on their way to watch the new movie that came out that day, and they both ran all the way to the subway when Manon stayed a few minutes later than supposed to.

"The movie starts in thirty minutes," Marinette says, scanning her cellphone's screen. "Or we could go buy your book and go to the next showing. I don't mind."

"Neither do I," Alya shrugs, grinning at her best friend. "Hey, look—your boyfriend's here too."

"Boyfriend? I don't have a—" Marinette looks over to where Alya is staring at, and she grimaces when she sees Adrien Agreste standing a few feet away. The subway comes rolling in, and Adrien gets into the cart next to theirs.

"Come on!" Alya laughs, pulling Marinette by the arm and jumping into a subway cart before the doors shut. "Crap, I thought I got into the right cart," Alya groans when she sees Adrien in the other side of the train's window. "Now all we can do is watch your boyfriend from—"

"He is _not_ my boyfriend!" Marinette screams, accidentally drawing attention to herself. Her face turns red, and she slaps her forehead at her over-reaction. She then turns to the window and makes a face at him.

Adrien suddenly turns his head and raises an eyebrow when he sees the face Marinette is making. Realizing she's been caught, she childishly sticks her tongue out, to which Adrien responds by sticking his out as well. Alya sighs—sometimes, she feels like she's raising two kids instead of having friends.

There's suddenly a glow that appears on Alya's feet and it continues to rise, erasing her current outfit and turning it into her akumatized persona's outfit.

"What's going on?!" Alya screams before her transformation is complete.

"Alya?!" Marinette gasps. "No… Lady Wifi!"

Lady Wifi opens her eyes and glares at Marinette. "I'm not Lady Wifi, I'm the Puppeteer!" she exclaims, throwing her hand out. "Give me those dolls!"

"The Puppeteer? Dolls? I-I don't have them!" Marinette exclaims while shaking her head. "They're at home! Why do you want them?"

"Because you said I could have them, but mommy said no!" the Puppeteer huffs. "So give them to me now! Or you'll be super-duper sorry!"

Marinette gasps.

" _Then Ladybug and Chat Noir will be_ _super-duper sorry_ _!"_

"…Manon?" Marinette asks. "You've been akumatized?"

"I want Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses to win!" the Puppeteer screams, jumping up and down childishly. When the subway comes to a halt at the next stop, Lady Wifi flicks a _Fast Forward_ symbol on the ground, and hops onto it. She glides out of the train and up the stairs to get to Marinette's room to get the other plushies.

Marinette runs after her and screams, "Manon, stop! This isn't a game!"

Seeing that someone's been akumatized, Adrien runs out of his cart and to the subway operator. "Sir, th-there's a… loose cat loose on the train!" Adrien lies, pointing at the carts. When the man leaves, Adrien enters the operating cart, and Plagg flies out of his pocket. "Plagg! We have to transform!"

"Ugh," Plagg groans. "I was really looking forward to watching that new movie."

"PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!" Adrien says as he punches the air. When Adrien becomes Chat Noir, he leaps out of the cart and runs over to a worried Marinette. He places a hand on her shoulder, causing her to whip around with a squeak.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette exclaims.

"Are you all right, Princess?" he asks, and Marinette nods. "Who was that?"

"Her voice belonged to a little girl I babysit. It was as if she was controlling my friend Alya—now Lady Wifi—from a distance."

"And what did she mean when she mentioned dolls?" Chat Noir asks.

"I've got some dolls she likes to play with," Marinette explains. "They're at home, and she's probably halfway there by now."

"That doesn't mean anything," Chat Noir says, crouching down. "We can still catch her."

Marinette knows she has to transform into Ladybug, but every time Chat Noir suggests that they partner up for a mission, she finds herself giving in. Like Tikki said earlier, she really can be a pushover sometimes.

Chat Noir runs across the city, being extra careful knowing that Marinette is on his back, and he picks up his pace when the Dupain-Cheng bakery is in sight. He jumps onto Marinette's roof balcony and kicks her trap door open, startling Lady Wifi, who just finished putting the rest of the plushies in her bag.

"Such a shame, it's really not nice to steal from your babysitter," Marinette says, hopping off of Chat Noir's back.

"'ll get your Miraculouses soon, you goody two-shoeses!" the Puppeteer exclaims with closed fists.

"There's only one goody two-shoes around here, and unfortunately, she's running pretty late," Chat Noir smirks, and Marinette scowls when she realizes he's talking about Ladybug.

"Freeze!" Lady Wifi screams, swiping her cellphone's screen to shoot a _Pause_ symbol in Chat Noir and Marinette's direction. Chat Noir deflects the attack, making it hit Marinette's poster of him on her wall.

Marinette lets out a cry of embarrassment, and jumps in front of Chat Noir to block him from seeing the poster. "H-how did you defeat Lady Wifi the first time?" she asks, laughing nervously.

Chat Noir nods. "Got it," he says, escaping through the window to jam the wifi signal.

While fighting, the Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls accidentally falls out of Lady Wifi's bag. Marinette performs a quick roll and grabs the Ladybug and Chat Noir plushies before Lady Wifi can. "Yes!" Marinette exclaims. "I got—"

While celebrating, Lady Wifi manages to swipe a _Pause_ symbol at her, making Marinette freeze in place. But before the villain could grab hold of the plushie, the wifi signal dies down thanks to Chat Noir, and Marinette flips her opponent over.

Lady Wifi scrambles to her feet and tries to swipe another symbol at her, and she gasps when she realizes that her phone is in Marinette's hands.

"Looks like you lost your signal Lady Wifi," Marinette says, dropping the cellphone on the floor and stomping on it with her foot. A black butterfly doesn't fly out of it as expected, and Marinette is left gaping at the broken device.

Angrily, Lady Wifi throws Marinette's couch at her, who manages to dodge it. However, when she gets back up, Marinette realizes that the villain had slipped out of the window. Chat Noir flies into the room with his weapon ready to catch the butterfly, but he freezes when he sees an annoyed Marinette, a couch thrown across the room, and no Lady Wifi in sight.

"She got away," Chat Noir says.

"Bingo," Marinette groans. Chat Noir looks down and raises an eyebrow when he sees the broken cellphone on the floor.

"Wait. Where's the akuma then?" he asks, pointing at the device.

"She didn't have one!" Marinette says. "She's controlled by Puppeteer! _She_ must have the akuma!"

"So, Lady Wifi really is nothing but a puppet," Chat Noir says. " _Please_ tell me you got the Chat Noir plushie."

Marinette shakes her head, making Chat Noir blanch. She laughs, "I'm kidding!" Marinette holds up both dolls and shakes them. "I got them both."

"You're my hero, Princess," Chat Noir laughs, placing a hand on his chest. "Just make sure the Puppeteer doesn't grab a hold of it." A warning beep resounds from Chat Noir's ring, making him scowl. "I'm about to transform soon. I'll get this akuma and come back for you by the end of the day. Stay safe, Marinette."

"Be careful, Chat Noir," she says. When Chat Noir disappears out the window, Tikki flies out of Marinette's purse.

"You can never say no to Manon _or_ Chat Noir, can you?" the kwami sighs.

"I'm sorry," Marinette grins sheepishly. "Anyways, come on—we have to go help Chat! TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

Immediately after transforming, Ladybug takes her yoyo out and dials Nadja Chamack's phone number. The news reporter answers after three rings. "Hello?" Mrs. Chamack asks.

"Mrs. Chamack, it's me, Ladybug," the superheroine says.

"Ladybug?!" Nadja answers in surprise.

"Where are you?"

"At the tv station, why? Is there something wrong?"

"Is your daughter with you?"

"Yes, she's playing downstairs," Nadja Chamack answers. "Why? What's wrong, Ladybug?"

"Don't move, I'll explain everything once I get there," Ladybug says, hanging up and swinging out of her bedroom.

* * *

In the building, Ladybug finds herself looking through the security cameras with Nadja Chamack and her cameraman. They come across a room with two people inside—Lady Wifi and who is most likely the Puppeteer. The akumatized victim is a little girl with pigtails and dressed in black and teal, and Ladybug is one hundred percent sure that it's Manon.

"She's still here in the building," Ladybug states. "I need you all outside!"

"No!" Mrs. Chamack screams almost desperately. "I need to find my daughter!"

"Chat Noir and I will get your daughter back, Mrs. Chamack," Ladybug assures the mother. "It'll help me more knowing you're safe."

When she's sure that the reporter and her cameraman are safe, Ladybug quietly makes her way over to the studio room the Puppeteer is in. Someone suddenly grabs her shoulder, and Ladybug reacts by wrenching their arm.

"Violent as always," Chat Noir smirks. Seeing who she attacked, Ladybug pulls her arm away and helps her rival up.

"Chat Noir, I'm so sorry! I thought you were one of the puppets," Ladybug apologizes. She then points a thumb at the door, and says, "The Puppeteer's inside. I say we kick the door down in three—"

"Two, one, now," Chat Noir says quickly, kicking it down. Groaning, Ladybug follows right after and stands next to him, gasping when she sees the Evillustrator and Dark Cupid inside as well. (They weren't there when she checked the cameras?!).

"Ladybug, Chat Noir…" the Puppeteer says, pointing her wand at the heroes. "I'm going to get your Miraculouses!"

"Yeah?" Chat Noir makes a fighting stance. "I'd like to see you try!"

The Evillustrator draws a cellphone on his tablet, which falls into Lady Wifi's hands once he's done. "Thanks, Evillustrator," Lady Wifi grins wickedly.

"Since I don't have either of your dolls," the Puppeteer says, eyeing Dark Cupid. "How about I control you some other way? DARK CUPID!"

Dark Cupid flies up in the air and shoots an arrow at Ladybug, her being his first target because she's the one holding the plushies. Ladybug deflects each one with her yoyo, but she quickly turns her attention to Lady Wifi, who's swiping symbols at her. Ladybug decides to block the symbols instead, seeing how it holds more importance, forgetting about the one flying above her. With a grin on his face, Dark Cupid shoots an arrow in her direction, and just when he thought he had a perfect hit, Chat Noir jumps in front of her, taking the blow instead.

" _Chat Noir_!" Ladybug cries, falling to his side and shaking his shoulders. "No, why did you go and do that again?"

"Because… I…" Chat Noir looks up at her, and his eyes go from green to… _black_? "I… I hate you, Ladybug."

Ladybug freezes.

"What…?" she says, back away. "You're supposed to love me, not…" Ladybug turns to Dark Cupid with a confused expression on her face.

"Don't look at me—my powers are still the same," Dark Cupid says. "I hope you take rejection well."

With her heart beating insanely fast, Ladybug escapes the room with the plushies in her hand and a tape gun in the other. Dark Cupid approaches the brainwashed hero and says with an outstretched hand, "I can help you destroy Ladybug if you give us her Miraculous in return."

"No…" Chat Noir says, and for a second, he sounds like himself—he sounds like he's fighting against the spell. But then he continues with a smirk, "…problem."

* * *

All the akumatized victims run to the roof of the building to catch up with Ladybug. Ladybug is hising behind one of the vents on the roof with the tape gun in hand.

"Well, first, I have to distract them," Ladybug says, turning on the stadium light to blind them. While the Evillustrator and Dark Cupid are shielding their eyes with their arms, Ladybug jumps down and wraps them up in tape. The only two who aren't trapped in that mess are Lady Wifi and Chat Noir.

"Give up now, Ladybug—on me, _and_ on winning!" Chat Noir screams, extending his staff. "I hate you!"

"Chat Noir, stop!" Ladybug says, dodging each of his attacks and deflecting some with a spin of her yoyo. "You're saying the wrong thing! You're supposed to say you love me!"

"Why would I say that?" Chat Noir smirks, making stronger swings. "You think I don't know that you like me? I hope you can go on knowing that I will _never_ love you ever again!"

Ladybug's rival tries to attack her with his staff, but the superheroine manages to fling him off the roof by jumping on his staff and flipping him over. Ladybug catches her breath, her face feeling hotter than ever and her heart beating faster than usual.

"Aw, how sweet," Lady Wifi snickers. "Now, that that's over—give me those dolls!"

"You want them?" Ladybug asks. "Go and get them!" She pitches the plushies as if she were pitching a baseball, and pumps a fist in the air when it lands somewhere on the Eiffel Tower.

Lad Wifi swipes a _Fast Forward_ symbol on the floor and hops on it. "I'm faster than you! You're going to lose Ladybug!" she screams, zooming off.

Ladybug immediately runs back downstairs, knowing that she has limited time before Lady Wifi returns with her doll. She kicks the door open and yells, "Now that you're alone— _huh_?! Where is she?!"

Ladybug sprints out of the room and while out in the hall, she overhears evil laughter coming from the room upstairs. She runs up the stairs and enters the room in time to see Lady Wifi handing the Puppeteer the Ladybug and Chat Noir plushies.

"I'm the winner!" the Puppeteer exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Drop those dolls, Manon," Ladybug says.

"I'm not Manon, I'm the _Puppeteer_!" the little girl screeches, pointing her wand at Ladybug. Lady Wifi proceeds to shoot symbols at her, but Ladybug quickly takes refuge behind a wall.

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug screams as she throws her yoyo in the air. What falls down is a power strip and she asks herself out loud, "What am I supposed to do with a power strip?"

Ladybug takes a peek to see the Evillustrator, Dark Cupid and Chat Noir enter the room, weapons at the ready. She takes a look around the area and memorizes the ladybug-printed pattern. She gets into action the second the Evillustrator erases the wall separating them. Ladybug dodges each attack thrown her way, and when she takes a glance at Chat Noir, she almost messes up her plan.

Ladybug slides under Chat Noir when he misses a hit, and she ties her yoyo around one of his ankles. His jaw hits the floor, and Ladybug throws him into Lady Wifi, making them both topple to the floor in pain. The Evillustrator tries to avenge them by drawing a buzzsaw, to which the superheroine deflects and sends in Dark Cupid's way. Dark Cupid dodges the attack, but his arrows sure didn't, and they're cut in half, rendering them useless.

Ladybug looks over at the Puppeteer, her weapon ready. "Now, for you—"

"Not just yet."

Ladybug turns around to find Chat Noir back up on his feet, and his weapon at his side. "Chat Noir," she falters. "Don't do this."

"Oh, I will," Chat Noir says, extending his staff. "I'd rather _die_ than become partners with you. I never even thought of partnering up with you, so don't get your hopes up. You're bothersome to be around." Ladybug does a quick translation, and her eyes widen. "I hate you."

Lady Wifi appears from behind Chat Noir as well and starts flicking _Pause_ symbols at her, and Ladybug is starting to get nervous. She was so close…!

When Lady Wifi throws her _Pause_ symbol, Ladybug hits it with her yoyo, and she gasps when she deflects it, making it hit Chat Noir instead. Chat Noir is frozen in mid-air, and Ladybug devises a quick plan—this would surely stop the Puppeteer.

The Puppeteer lifts the Ladybug plushie up in the air with her wand. "Ladybug!" she exclaims. "Come to li—"

Before the akumatized victim could finish her sentence and gain control of her, Ladybug hits one of Lady Wifi's _Pause_ symbols with her weapon. The symbol travels across the room, hitting the Puppeteer square in the chest, making her and all those controlled by her freeze in place.

Ladybug grins at her success and whistles the _Miraculous_ theme song (featured on Alya's LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat) while skipping past her opponents. Once she gets to the wand, she takes it and snaps it in half.

A black butterfly flutters out of the item, and Ladybug successfully catches it with her compact. "Bye bye, little butterfly," she says when a butterfly white as vanilla flies out of it instead. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" Magic dust dances all around her, and everything goes back to the way it was before.

Lady Wifi turns back into Alya, Dark Cupid into Kim, the Evillustrator into Nathanael, the Puppeteer into Manon, and Chat Noir into his rude, grumpy self (but Ladybug wouldn't have him any other way).

"What happened?" Chat Noir asks, the drumming in his painful and loud. "Last thing I remember… I was here with…" He looks up to see Ladybug, and he scowls. "Ah. So, reality is a nightmare after all."

"Glad to have you back," Ladybug laughs.

"I was with Marinette—" Alya gasps. "Where's Marinette?!"

"Don't worry, she's all right," Ladybug assures her, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Chat Noir sigh in relief as well.

"I was at the Louvre," Nathanael says quietly, scratching the back of his head.

"I was making a bet with Alix," Kim says. "She's definitely going to count this as one point for herself. Typical of her."

When the re-akumatized victims leave and Manon is picked up by her mother, Ladybug takes this time with Chat Noir to ask him about his reversed behavior.

"…Chat Noir?" Ladybug asks, making her rival turn to her.

"Hm?" he asks.

"Y-you know, you weren't controlled by the Puppeteer…" Ladybug begins slowly. "You were hit by Dark Cupid's arrow."

Chat Noir's ears perk up. "Oh, _gross_ —alright, I do _not_ love you. You know he reverses feelings," he says with a (fake) scowl on his face. "Don't tell me I went all _I'd love to be partners with you_!"

"A-actually…" Ladybug says, fidgeting. "You said…"

 _Beep, beep._

"Your earrings," Chat Noir says, pointing at his earlobes. "Better leave before you transform back, or stay if you want, at least that way, I'd know who to avoid in my civilian life too," he jokes.

Ladybug frowns. "Chat, I _really_ have to tell you— well, ask you a few things too—"

"Maybe save it for next time?" Chat Noir asks. "You might accidentally transform back in mid-air while swinging home. You'll get hurt."

With a nod, Ladybug swings out of the studio and all the way home with her heart pounding violently in her chest. Chat Noir watches her go, and when he transforms back into Adrien, her places a tired Plagg on his shoulder as he makes his way out of the building.

"You've changed a lot, kid," Plagg says. "You don't hate her as much as before."

"Pfft, what are you talking about?" Adrien scoffs. "She's the same klutzy, violent Ladybug I already told myself I'd _never_ like."

Adrien's bitterness over Ladybug's smile is still there, the black cat kwami knows, but slowly… Plagg could feel it fading. (If only this kid would just admit it already).

"That's not what you said to her earlier…" Plagg mutters.

"What was that?" Adrien asks.

Plagg smirks. "Nothing."

* * *

At eleven in the evening, about an hour before patrol, Marinette decides to head up on her balcony to watch the stars. The view from where she stands is nothing compared to the view at the top of the Eiffel Tower, but the stars still twinkle just as bright, and the crescent moon still splashes the entire city in shining moonlight.

She's leaning over the rails, and in her hands is the Chat Noir plushie she made. She looks down at the stuffed toy in her hands, and she smiles at the thought of the day's events.

" _I… I hate you, Ladybug."_

 _(Translation: "I… I love you, Ladybug.")_

It's too hard to believe, too good to be true. But maybe he _has_ changed. Come to think of it, Chat Noir _has_ been nicer to her, and he _has_ been smiling more around her. He may still insult her from time to time, but they have less bite and anger in them.

It's a small start, right?

It's _something_ , isn't it?

"Good evening, Princess."

Marinette looks up to see Chat Noir's face just _inches_ away from hers. He's hanging on the other side of her balcony's rails, his elbows hooked over them to keep himself from falling. Marinette covers her mouth to stop herself from screaming in order not to alert anyone.

She then looks down at the Chat Noir plushie in her hands, and embarrassed, she immediately hides it behind her back. "Chat Noir, you have to stop scaring me all the time!" Marinette exclaims. "I might accidentally scream one night and alert the entire neighborhood."

Chat Noir jumps over the rails and leans on it with his back. "Don't think I didn't see that plushie you made of me earlier," he smirks.

Marinette's cheeks grow warm. "That—I, uh, was… bored?" she stutters.

"It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself," Chat Noir grins, pretending to flip his non-existent, long, flowing hair. "You truly captured my beauty."

Marinette rolls her eyes, smiling. "Shut up, Chat."

"Can I see it?" he asks, pointing at her back.

Marinette nods and hands him the stuffed toy. "You can have it," she smiles.

"What? No, Princess, I just wanted to take a quick look—"

She shakes her head, laughing. "Take it," Marinette says, walking over to the rails and leaning over it. "I want you to have it."

Chat Noir looks down at the plushie with sparkling eyes, and his lips curve into a small smile. "Thank you, Princess," he whispers.

"You're welcome, Chat Noir," Marinette smiles, looking up at the starry sky with absolute wonder. Chat Noir turns around as well and copies Marinette's actions, but instead of looking up at the sky above, he's looking at her with equal wonder.

He's fallen for her a lot harder than he thought.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Foreshadowing and parallelism are my lifeblood.

I'm still receiving reviews and PM's asking if I'll be writing for Season 02 and 03, and my answer is most likely… no. In case I change my mind in the future, I'll be writing an alternate open ending, but for now, my answer is no. :(

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and reviews! Shout-out to the kind **Evangeline Pond** for being the 400th reviewer! And shout-out to the awesome guest reviewer **pink macarons** for your idea about Dark Cupid being re-akumatized instead of Rogercop! _Genius idea_! It helped with good development, and all those who were hoping for Ladybug to get hit in the Dark Cupid chapter, this chapter now just gives another reason why Chat Noir getting hit works! :)

For anyone who's curious…

 **Team Ladybug:** Chloe, Sabrina, Max, Nathanael, Rose, Ivan  
 **Team Chat Noir:** Marinette, Nino, Alix, Kim, Juleka, Mylene  
 **Both:** Alya  
 **Torn:** Adrien

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 11  
Chat Noir: 11**

 _Next Episode: Reflekta_


	21. Reflekta: Look At Me

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 21_

Reflekta: Look At Me

"Dude. You're a _model_. Taking pictures is like, second nature to you."

It's Picture Day, and while everyone is nonchalant about the whole thing, Adrien is shifting from foot to foot, casting nervous glances at Marinette. Nino is trying to calm his best friend down, which unfortunately proves to be in vain.

"Yeah, but it's going to be my first picture with _her_. If I look even the slightest bit off, I'll never forgive myself," Adrien says, and when his panicked cries catch Marinette's attention, he throws a scowl her way to hide his nervousness. Marinette sticks her tongue out at him before turning around with a _hmph!_

"You're photogenic from every angle, man," Nino says. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," says a quiet voice behind them. Adrien and Nino turn to see a frowning Juleka. She continues, "At least you'll be in the photo."

"No, Juleka, I'm telling you—you're not cursed!" Rose cries, grabbing her best friend's arm. "This time it's going to work out. I know it will."

"What do you mean by cursed?" Adrien asks the black-haired girl.

"Ever since I was little, every time someone takes a photo of me…" Juleka sighs, looking down at her feet. "Something always goes wrong."

Juleka tells them about the past pictures she's tried to be in—her first class picture when she entered the Collège was ruined when Max shot his arm up in the air and covered her face. She and Rose attempted to take a picture together just last week, but a pigeon flew into the picture, thus covering Juleka's face. Finally, Rose and Juleka bumped into Alya, Marinette, Max and Kim at the park. Max wanted to take a picture for old times' sake, but Juleka tripped on her way to her spot next to Kim, resulting in her only being a black and purple blur in the far corner of the picture.

When it comes to taking pictures, Juleka really does have the worst luck.

"That really does sound like a curse," Nino says.

"It does," Adrien agrees. He places a hand on Juleka's shoulder and smiles at her. "But don't worry. We'll do our best to make sure you're in the picture. We'll break your curse."

Juleka smiles at Adrien's words. "Thanks, Adrien," she says.

When the current class taking their class picture leaves the courtyard, the photographer quickly eyes the class and adjusts his equipment. When he's all done, he points over at Max, Alix, Rose, Marinette and Mylene.

"You five!" the photographer says. "At the very front! And hurry up; I've got sixteen more classes!"

When the five of them take their seats, Chloe snorts, "Look Sabrina—they're up front at the baby seats!" She and Sabrina giggle at the blonde's joke, and the five at the very front only roll their eyes at the Queen Bee's comment.

The photographer then points to Alya, Nathanael, Sabrina and Chloe. "You four, at the rear bench," the man instructs, and Chloe's mouth drops open.

"Wait just one minute!" Chloe cries, stomping her foot childishly. "I _have_ to be in the middle row right next to Adrien—though, preferably in the center." She yanks Adrien down to her level and says, "Look, we're the same height!"

The photographer rolls his eyes. "No. Go stand in the back row with the rest," he says.

"How dare you?!" Chloe shrieks, stomping her way over to him. "You're making _me_ stand at the very back! Do you know who my father is?!"

"Is he a photographer?" he asks with a straight face on.

Chloe gasps. "N-no, _but_ —" she begins.

"Then I don't need to hear it," the professional yawns. "Now, go stand with the rest. Or would you prefer to sit in the baby seats?" Chloe lets out a growl before walking over to her assigned place with a scowl on her face. The photographer slides over to the remaining students and says, "The rest of you, go stand in the second row."

While walking over to his spot, Adrien tells Chloe, "It's no big deal, Chloe. As long as we're all in the same picture, right?"

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" the photographer exclaims. "Now let's take this photo!"

Adrien looks around, and smiles to himself when he sees Marinette sitting right in front of him. Not only will he be in a picture with Marinette, but he's so close to her too. He continues to look around, but his smile drops when Juleka's nowhere in sight. He looks back over to where he last saw her standing, to find that she's still standing in the same spot. He sees her look down at the bracelet tied around her wrist sadly.

Adrien quickly raises his hand. "Excuse me, sir, you forgot Juleka," he says, pointing over at the black-haired girl, who looks up in surprise.

"Oh, my bad! Forgive me, forgive me," the photographer says. "Go stand in the middle row, next to the blonde-haired boy who just talked."

"You're going to be right in the center," Adrien smiles, making room for his classmate. "All eyes will be on you. No more cursed photos." Juleka nods at him with a smile.

"Oh, this isn't right!" the photographer exclaims while looking through his lens. "It's not working here!"

"Of course it's not working—I'm in the wrong spot!" Chloe cries, crossing her arms. "I demand to be moved!"

"No, no, you're fine where you are," the man says, tapping his chin with his finger. "You," he points at Ivan. "Move here." After several shots of Ivan in different spots, the photographer lets out a cry of distress.

"Excuse me, but do we have a problem?" Principal Damocles asks.

"Me being in this spot is the problem!" Chloe complains, making the entire class sigh in exasperation. The blonde tries to jump down a row by pushing Juleka out of the way, but Juleka fights back, not allowing her to take her spot. For the first time ever, she's going to be _seen_ in a picture—no way is she going to let her take this away from her.

"Ms. Bourgeois, behave yourself!" Mme Bustier scolds.

"This isn't gym class, you know Chloe," Adrien says. "Don't go pushing Juleka out of the way." Unknown to him, Marinette smiles at his words.

"You—over here, and you—over here," the photographer instructs. "You—over here, and you… here. There! Perfect!" The man smiles at his success, and everyone seems to be happy with the change, except for one.

"Uh, no?!" Chloe thunders. "It's not perfect at all! I'm totally not next to Adrien!"

At her words, Adrien and Marinette sigh.

"Please Chloe, we still have sixteen classes to photograph," Principal Damocles says, making Chloe growl and cross her arms.

"Everybody say _cheese_!" the photographer exclaims.

" _Cheese_!"

Juleka pulls on her widest smile, happy to finally be in a picture, when a beep suddenly resounds from the photographer's camera. "Oh, I don't believe this. Sorry, I have to go and fetch another battery. Nobody move!"

When the photographer leaves, Juleka looks down with a frown. "She knew it—it was too good to be true. She'll never be able to break her curse.

Juleka moves past her classmates and asks Mme Bustier, "Can I go to the washroom?"

"Sure, but hurry," the teacher answers, and Juleka quietly slips away.

Shortly after Juleka leaves, Sabrina jumps down from her seat and says, "Mme Bustier, I have to go too!" This is enough to make Adrien raise an eyebrow in suspicion, and he shoots a subtle glare in Chloe's direction. If something goes wrong, he's pretty sure he knows who's responsible for it.

"We're back in business!" the photographer exclaims upon returning. While he's not looking, Chloe jumps next to Adrien and hugs his arm.

"Chloe?!" Marinette scowls.

"How did you get here?" Adrien asks, and then frantically looks around. "Where's Juleka?!"

"Who cares? I'm in the right spot!" Chloe exclaims, wrapping her arms around Adrien's neck. "I'm finally next to my Adrikins!"

"I want you to flash your best smiles because this is the last time we're doing this!" the photographer exclaims. " _Cheese_!"

"Wait!" Adrien cries, throwing his arm out.

 _Snap!_

"Thank you, everyone," the photographer says. "You'll each get your own copy of the class photo by the end of this week."

"Wait!" Adrien exclaims. "Please, sir, we have to redo the photo!" He couldn't stand the thought of being in a class picture when Juleka has been in school longer than he has. It wouldn't be fair.

"Why's that?" Principal Damocles asks.

"Juleka isn't in the picture," Adrien says. After his claim, everyone looks around and gasps to see that Juleka is nowhere in sight.

Questions like _where did she go_? and _didn't she go to the washroom?_ travel around the courtyard, and not wanting to risk losing her spot next to Adrien in the retake, Chloe whispers to the principal, "Mr. Damocles, aren't we meant to be heading off to lunch now? And aren't you paying the photographer by the hour?"

"I'm sorry, everyone, but there's simply no more time to retake the picture," the principal says. "Move along, now. It's time for lunch."

* * *

"Juleka was locked in the washroom. She really does have the photo curse," Rose says sadly.

Adrien and Nino are sitting on one of the benches out in the courtyard, and Rose joined them when she returned from the washroom. Rose takes a seat next to Nino and frowns as she buries her face in her hands. Nino tries to comfort the blonde by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I should've known Chloe was behind this," Adrien sighs. "I'm sorry, Rose. Chloe may be my oldest friend, but she can be pretty selfish at times."

"We could ask the photographer to retake it," Nino suggests.

Adrien shakes his head. "There's no point, he wouldn't want to. Unless…" he smirks. "The photo disappeared, and the principal would have no choice but to retake the photo—with Juleka."

Nino grins. "I know that look," he says, and then turns to Rose. "Adrien knows what to do. You have nothing to worry about."

"Just find Juleka," Adrien says. "I'll take care of the rest."

Adrien runs off, and unknowingly passes Marinette, who was listening to their entire conversation. She watches Adrien leave with admiration in her eyes, and a small smile forms on her lips.

* * *

"All the material stays in the principal's office during lunch break," Adrien says from his hiding spot. Plagg flies out of his pocket and lies on his shoulder.

"Wow, kid. I never thought I'd see you this way," the kwami says. "Disobedient. Not by-the-rules. Who are you and what have you done to Adrien?"

"Plagg, you see me like this every day," Adrien says, and he grins when Principal Damocles and the photographer walk out of the principal's office. "I just don't have my mask on right now."

When the two adults are out of sight, Adrien looks around the area and when the coast is clear, he runs into the room.

"While you're actually cool this way, I don't think it's a very good idea," Plagg says. "You can find another way to solve this."

"Don't worry. We won't get caught," Adrien says. He spots the camera sitting atop the principal's desk, and walks over to it. While flipping through the photos, Adrien hears the doorknob twisting open and throws himself under the desk.

"Yeah, we won't get caught, huh?" Plagg asks, and Adrien glares at him.

Adrien holds his breath, his heart hammering in his chest because he's afraid of being caught (what would his father say?), until: "Relax. It's just me."

Adrien's eyes widen and he pops his head out from underneath the desk to see Marniette standing by the door with her arms crossed. "M-Marinette?" he stutters. "What are you doing here?"

"I overheard you telling Rose about your plan," she says, pointing at the camera in his hands. "I thought I'd… help out."

Silence.

"Alright, how much do you want?" Adrien asks flatly, sticking his hand in his back pocket to grab his wallet. This angers Marinette, whose face turns red with anger and offense.

"What? I don't want anything!" Marinette exclaims, flustered. "I just want to help Juleka out. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes," Adrien says with a straight face on.

"Oh, forget it," Marinette scowls. "I won't help you. I've changed my mind."

Adrien shrugs. "Alright. Like I asked for your help anyway," he says, which only angers her more. "You'd probably drop the camera and get us into bigger trouble. Some help you'd be."

"I was so stupid to think for even one second that you deserved my kindness," Marinette scoffs.

"Your kindness lasts for one second. Seriously," Adrien says. "I can't think of one day where you haven't called me a jerk, an idiot, or self-absorbed."

"You talk!" Marinette roars, stomping over to him. Adrien remains unfazed as she yells at him, but inside, his stomach is doing flips due to how close she is. He thinks back to how close they were in the film shooting during that whole _Horrificator_ event, and his face turns bright red. Marinette continues, "Try to think of one day you haven't called me a klutz, an idiot, or violent!"

"You _are_ a klutz, an idiot, and violent!"

"Then you're a jerk, an idiot, and self-absorbed!"

"How am I self-absorbed in any way?!"

"How am _I_ violent in any way?!"

"Your question just proves how much of an idiot you are! Nino has a tally board of how many times you've slapped me in the past week! Oh, and by the way, your hits don't hurt one bit. You hit as hard as an infant— _ow_!"

"AS HARD AS AN INFANT, HUH?"

"SEE? YOU _JUST_ SLAPPED ME."

"BECAUSE YOU KEEP PROVOKING ME!"

"IF I GET A BRUISE, I KNOW WHO I'M BLAMING."

"I WILL END YOU—"

The door suddenly slams open, making the arguing couple's faces blanch. They slowly turn to the door to find Chloe and Sabrina standing there, and they painfully close their eyes. This is worse than being caught by the principal. "You two are alone? _Again_?!" Chloe shrieks.

"Hey, we didn't plan this," Adrien says, waving his hands while shaking his head.

"Well, good thing you two didn't get inside here at the same time," Chloe says, snapping her fingers. Sabrina takes her phone out to reveal a picture of Marinette entering the principal's office, making both Adrien and Marinette gasp. "The principal would just _love_ this video of you snooping around in his office, wouldn't he?"

"Delete that video, Chloe," Adrien says sternly.

"But Adrikins!" Chloe pouts. "We finally have a picture together!"

"We can take a picture together anytime," Adrien says. "Just don't get Marinette in trouble." Marinette looks up at him in surprise.

Scowling, Chloe takes her phone out and deletes the video, showing it to Adrien to prove that she really did. Just as he's about to thank her, a voice thunders from the other side of the door, "Where is Chloe Bourgeois?!"

"What was that?!" Chloe cries. Believing the voice belongs to an akumatized victim, Adrien grabs the camera's memory card, and then Marinette's hand, and runs out of the principal's office. He hears Chloe scream after them, "Adrikins?! Don't just leave me here!"

Adrien and Marinette run up the stairs and hide behind a wall, panting heavily as they catch their breath. "There you are at last! Chloe Bourgeois!" they hear the voice exclaim, and they poke their heads out of their hiding spots to see a flashy, pink-clad akumatized victim standing on the rails. It's hard to miss her—she caught their eyes immediately.

"Who are you?" Chloe grimaces.

"Reflekta!" she exclaims. The villain jumps in front of her and says, "Now, take a good look at me because I'm your future _face_!"

Chloe pushes her and screams, "Gross! I'd rather look like Marinette than look like you!"

This comment makes Adrien stifle his laughter, earning him an elbow in the gut from Marinette.

Chloe attempts to run away, but Reflekta zaps her with her bracelet, and Chloe is enveloped in bright, white light. When the flash disappears, Adrien and Marinette gasp to see that Chloe's been transformed into an exact replica of Reflekta.

"What in the—?!" Chloe looks down at her attire in horror. "Do you have any idea how much my outfit cost?!"

"You should be thanking me!" Reflekta cackles. "You look a thousand times better looking like me!"

Seeing that he has to go transform, Adrien quietly slips away from Marinette and runs into the nearest washroom. He checks the stalls to make sure that no one's there, and Plagg flies out of his pocket when he says that it's clear. "Do we _have_ to transform?" Plagg yawns. "I think you'd look good in heels."

"No Camembert for a week."

"Fine."

"PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!" Adrien screams as he throws his arm forward. After transforming into Chat Noir, he leaps out of the washroom, ready for battle. He's crouching over the rails, and listens in to what Reflekta is telling who he believes is still Chloe.

"You won't get rid of me by locking me in the washroom this time," Reflekta grins.

"Juleka!" Chat Noir gasps. The hero jumps between Reflekta and Chloe, stopping the villain from making an attack against his childhood friend. "Juleka, stop!"

"I'm not the Juleka nobody notices anymore," Reflekta says with a dash of pain in her voice. "I'm Reflekta now! And there's no way anyone can miss me!" Reflekta aims her bracelet at Chat Noir and grins, "I'm sure you'd love your new image, Chat Noir."

"No thanks, I prefer the one I've got," Chat Noir says, twirling his staff in front of him.

"Are you sure? Ask Ladybug," Reflekta says with a smirk. "I'm sure she loves her new look."

"You zapped her?!" Chat Noir asks.

"Yes, and she looks much better. I hate bugs," Reflekta says. "And I hate cats too."

Reflekta proceeds to shoot beams at Chat Noir, who dodges each one with a spin of his staff. He jumps off the second floor and runs around the open courtyard, dodging and deflecting each beam thrown his way. Chat Noir tries to fight her off, but with each attack he makes, Reflekta deflects with a zap of her bracelet.

"Soon, like everyone else, you'll look just like me," Reflekta cackles. Chat Noir tries to strike her, but Reflekta grabs his arm. "But first, I'm going to take your ring…"

"If you want to go through him," a voice behind Reflekta says. "You're going to have to go through us first." The akumatized victim and Chat Noir turn their heads to see an army of Reflekta's standing with their arms akimbo, glaring daggers at the villain.

"Ladybug…?" Chat Noir asks, and the Reflekta standing at the very front nods her head at him with a smile on her face.

Reflekted-Ladybug points at the villain. "Catch her!"

The hoard of Reflekted students charge at her, but Reflekta dodges them by jumping over their heads. When she makes it to the end, Reflekta cackles, "You're no match for me, Chat Noir! It'll be over for you soon! You'll see!" She escapes by jumping over the school's walls, and when she's out of sight, the students all rush to Chat Noir.

"Are you going to help us, Chat Noir?" one student asks.

"We want our faces back!" another cries.

"Don't worry, I'll figure it out," Chat Noir says.

"You're not doing it alone, Chat," says a familiar voice. Chat Noir turns around to find a Reflekta standing behind him with a sheepish smile on her face.

"My Lady?" Chat Noir asks (and somewhere in the crowd, he swore he heard Alya cry _LadyNoir!_ followed by the sound of a camera starting a recording). Before he could say anything else, Reflekted-Ladybug grabs Chat Noir's hand and runs off to speak with him in private.

"Um… surprise?" Ladybug laughs nervously.

"You fell, didn't you," Chat Noir says in such a monotone it hardly sounds like a question. "And then she zapped you."

" _No_ ," Ladybug growls. "I was in the middle of using my Lucky Charm to try to break open the door, when she zapped me. You better hurry because I really want my face back."

"Why? You look better this way than your usual self."

"I will take one of my heels and shove it down your throat," Ladybug says flatly. "You should thank me for getting you out of that tight spot."

"For your information, I didn't need your help," Chat Noir says stubbornly. "I could've solved it all on my own."

"You're welcome," Ladybug rolls her eyes. "Look, my powers were taken away when she zapped me, so it's all up to you."

"Sweet. A free tally mark yet again," Chat Noir grins.

"Remind me who just saved you a minute ago?" Ladybug scowls.

"Yeah, yeah," Chat Noir smirks. "Anyways, I have to go find Reflekta. You'll just slow me down." He's about to leave, when Ladybug suddenly grabs his arm.

"Maybe, but you know, sometimes I do have ideas," Ladybug says.

"That's a first."

" _Excuse me_?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Ladybug rolls her eyes. "Taking down Reflekta isn't a good idea unless you want to look like her too."

Chat Noir's ears perk up. "That gives me an idea…" he grins. He pulls Ladybug close to him (failing to see the redness on her cheeks when he did so), and pole-vaults them over the school's walls.

"Wh-where are we headed?" Ladybug stammers.

"To the TV Station," Chat Noir grins. "I've got a plan."

"And you want me to help?" Ladybug asks, eyes sparkling.

"No, I just want you to watch me win."

Ladybug smiles. "Yeah, alright, you stupid cat."

* * *

"People of Paris! Reflekta is _not_ invincible. You can help me—all you have to do is put on a disguise, then I'll be able to spot the _real_ Reflekta and bring her down. I'm relying on you all!"

"And… cut!"

Chat Noir walks off the stage and over to Ladybug, who has her fist out for him to bump. He brushes it off just to spite her, and Ladybug instead throws her fist at him. Chat Noir narrowly dodges her hit, laughing at the grimace on her face.

"Sorry, but isn't your plan a bit complicated?" Ladybug asks.

"Oh, Ladybug. Always so clueless," Chat Noir teases. "This isn't my real plan. The real plan is, now that Reflekta knows that we're at the TV station, she'll come right here to get us."

"Oh, smart," Ladybug nods.

After minutes of waiting and hiding, the door of the station slams open, and Reflekta walks into the room, looking around. Chat Noir pulls a sneak attack, throwing his staff at her, thus knocking her off her feet.

"The akuma's in her bracelet! Go for it!" Chat Noir screams, and Ladybug comes sprinting at Reflekta. She swipes the villain's bracelet off and throws it at Chat Noir, who catches it flawlessly. He throws the mirror on the floor, smashing it, but no butterfly emerges from it. "What the? It's not the real bracelet!"

Reflekta's cackles echoes throughout the room, making Chat Noir and Ladybug look around in confusion.

"I'm sorry!" the fake Reflekta cries. "She promised that she'd changed me back if I tricked you!"

"Mayor Bourgeois?!" Ladybug cries. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm sorry!" the mayor cries. Chat Noir shakes his head in disappointment—he's just like Chloe. So selfish. Only thinking of himself.

A beam of light is zapped in their direction, and Ladybug jumps in front of Chat Noir to prevent him from transforming into a Reflekta. Ladybug smiles at him when he makes a look a surprise, and tells him, "You've always been the one taking the blow for me. I thought that it's time I return the favor."

Chat Noir smiles. "Thanks, Ladybug."

"I've been changed already, so her zaps have no impact on me," Ladybug says. "Go capture that akuma!"

Chat Noir nods. "CATACLYSM!" he screams, and the familiar dark glow appears on his hand. The hero sprints over to the light switch and slams his hand on it, causing the entire room to black out. Through his night vision, Chat Noir can see three Reflekta's walking around with their arms extended to prevent themselves from smashing into something.

Chat Noir pokes one of the Reflekta's with his staff, and the first one lets out a manly cry (Mayor Bourgeois, he notes). The second one threatens, "Do that one more time and you'll be sorry once this is all over." (His Lady, he notes). This leaves the third and last one, which is obviously the real akumatized victim.

He runs over to the villain and trips her with his staff, who reacts by zapping beams of light in every direction. Chat Noir deflects each attack with a twirl of his staff, and when he's close enough, he knocks Reflekta's bracelet out of her hand with his weapon.

"You made it too easy," Chat Noir smirks. "You zapped the hero _without_ night vision."

Chat Noir drops the bracelet and crushes it with a stomp of his foot, and a black butterfly flutters out of the broken item. Chat Noir paints a butterfly white as clouds, and watches it fly away in the distance.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir exclaims, hitting the end of his staff against the floor. Magic dust swirls all over the place, and the room is lit up once again. A black and violet cloud envelops Reflekta, turning her back into Juleka, and the dust swirls around the two other Reflekta's, revealing Ladybug and Mayor Bourgeois.

Ladybug walks over to her rival and gives him a thumbs up. "Good job, Chat," she says.

"Like always," Chat Noir says with a cocky grin.

"Wh-where am I?" Juleka asks, clutching the sides of her head.

"You didn't use your Lucky Charm today, so you can take her back to school," Chat Noir says, looking down at his beeping ring. "That's one more point for me on the tally board."

"I know, I know," Ladybug says.

He turns to Juleka and grins, "Why don't you go get that picture taken?" Juleka shyly nods her head after being spoken to by her favorite superhero. Chat Noir then turns to his rival. "I'll see you later, Ladybug," he says, giving her a two-finger salute.

"See you, Chat Noir," Ladybug grins, escorting Juleka and Mayor Bourgeois out of the building.

Chat Noir escapes to the roof of the building and hops from roof to roof until he makes it to his school. He hides behind a tree at the park nearby, and his transformation wears off to reveal Adrien. He starts walking towards the school with Plagg lying in his inner breast pocket.

"You know what, Plagg?" Adrien asks, taking the memory card out of the pocket of his pants. "I shouldn't have stolen this. You were right. For once."

"Of course I— _excuse me_?" Plagg asks, mouth dropping open. "Wow. That's the last time I help you."

Laughing, Adrien enters the school building and walks over to the photographer, who's just about to snap a picture of the current class. "Excuse me?" Adrien says, catching the photographer's attention. The blond holds up the memory card. "I think you dropped this."

The photographer looks down at his camera to see it blinking, indicating that its memory card is missing. "Ah, thank you!" he exclaims, taking the card.

"I know you're very busy, but one of our classmates weren't in the photo you took. Is there any way we could do it again?" Adrien asks.

"Well, I'm running late with everything that's been going on…" the man says. "I'm not sure if it will be possible…"

"I understand, but could we do it after you're finished here at the school," Adrien says. "We could set up at the park next door." Seeing the professional's uneasiness, Adrien says, "I remember you, you know."

"You…" the photographer's eyes widen. "You're Adrien Agreste, right? You remember someone such as myself?"

"Of course," Adrien nods. "Any time you're scheduled as my photographer for my photoshoot, I get really happy. I'm always satisfied with your work."

"Well, when you put it that way…" he grins. "Why not?"

* * *

"Alright, ready?"

The students of Mme Bustier's class are the park near École Francoise-Dupont, ready to take their class picture. Everyone is present—except for Chloe and Sabrina. They claim that they aren't interested in being in the picture.

From left to right, Nino, Rose, Juleka, Max and Alix are sitting on the bench. Standing up behind them are (from left to right once again) Ivan, Nathanael, Adrien, Marinette, Alya and Kim. Juleka is the one shining as she sits at the very center, and she flashes her brightest smile at the camera.

"Good idea, Adrien," Marinette whispers to him. "I really admire you for doing all this for Juleka."

"I know you do, klutz," Adrien jokes, his cheeks painted pink. "I'm just that admirable."

Marinette scowls. "Forget I said anything, jerk."

Adrien looks down at her and laughs, and Marinette only rolls her eyes in response, but Adrien doesn't miss the smile that spreads on her face when she thinks he isn't looking.

"Three, two, one," the photographer says. "Say _cheese_!"

" _Cheese_!"

 _Snap!_

The picture is taken, and everyone huddles around the professional to see the results. Nothing is covering Juleka's face in the picture, and her smile far outshines everyone else's.

"The curse is broken!" Rose exclaims at the sight of her best friend's face.

"Thank you, Adrien," Juleka says. And Adrien flashes her a pearly-white grin.

The entire class proceeds to take several other pictures just for fun, which will be sent to each one of them (if they kept it a secret from their principal, of course).

The first picture is of Rose, Juleka and Marinette making funny faces.

The second picture is of Juleka standing in the middle of Adrien, Nino and Kim, who are mimicking the signature pose from _Charlie's Angels_.

The third picture is of Juleka in the very center, surrounded by her classmates, who have their fingers pointing at her.

While everyone is laughing and talking about other poses they should do, Adrien is looking through the rest of the pictures, stopping at one that has his eyes widening.

Everyone is looking at the camera except for Marinette.

She's looking at him.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Ladybug was the one who got Reflekted! I hope you guys liked the change! Next chapter is _Pixelator_ , and I have one question for all of you: ARE YOU READY FOR THE LADRIEN? It's going to be the first time Adrien and Ladybug actually interact with each other in _Who Needs Love?_ I'm really excited to write it. c:

Shout-out to the sweet **SophiaCrutchfeild** for making a playlist for this fanfic! I really appreciate it, thank you so much! :') The link is on my profile, but in case it doesn't work, you can find it on **8tracks**. Just add **/sophiacrutchfeild/who-needs-love-1** at the end of the link! Thank you to all those who added this story to their favorites and alerts, and thank you to all those who reviewed! I love you all!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 11  
Chat Noir: 12**

 _Next Episode: Pixelator_


	22. Pixelator: Say Cheese

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 22_

Pixelator: Say Cheese

"Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Bourgeois, we're able to have our work experience field trip today at the Grand Paris luxury hotel," Mme Bustier tells her class. "Each of you will get hands-on experience with one of the many jobs here at the hotel."

Mme Bustier turns at the sound of laughter and ruckus, sighing in exhaustion to see Ivan and Alix having a pillow fight in the suite they're currently in. "You will be graded on your effort and _professionalism_ , which will affect whether you pass or _fail_ the class," the teacher says, emphasizing the words _professionalism_ and _fail_ , making Ivan and Alix stop what they're doing.

After assignment her students according to their tasks on the list she received from Mayor Bourgeois, Mme Bustier notices that Marinette and Alya aren't given a job. She walks back down to the lobby of the hotel and approaches the mayor.

"Do you have Marinette and Alya on your list, Mr. Bourgeois?" Mme Bustier asks, and Marinette and Alya overhear from their places.

"It doesn't look like it," the mayor answers, cocking an eyebrow as he scans the paper more than twice.

"I bet I know who helped him make the assignment," Alya rolls her eyes and crosses her arms at the sight of Chloe hugging an exasperated Adrien's arm.

"Of course," Marinette scowls, glaring in the two blondes' direction. "And I bet she paired herself off with Adrien."

Alya smirks. "And that worries you?"

"O-of course not," Marinette splutters, turning away. "It's just—not fair that she and that jerk get the best job out of all of us."

"If you say so," Alya says in a sing-song voice.

"I must've missed them—" Mayor Bourgeois begins, but he's interrupted by the sound of his daughter calling for him.

"Daddy!" Chloe exclaims, waving a piece of paper in her hand. "I found the paper you were looking for!"

"Thank you, sweetie," Mayor Bourgeois says, taking the paper out of her hands. "Alya, you're going to be… sorting trash at the main dumpster." Alya's mouth drops open, and she glares daggers at Chloe, who only smirks back at her. "And Marinette will be—"

The mayor is interrupted when the automatic doors of the entrance slide open to reveal a certain purple-haired rockstar holding a crocodile on a leash. His assistant, Penny Rolling, is standing behind him, next to all his luggage. All present gasps at the sight of the celebrity.

"Excuse me, but this is a luxury hotel, not a—" Mayor Bourgeois begins, and he grimaces when the crocodile growls at him.

"Daddy!" Chloe calls out, and her father walks over to her. She whispers in his ear, "That's Jagged Stone, the rockstar. He's sold millions of albums; he's very famous and very, very _rich_."

At this, the mayor's attitude does a complete turnover. "Ah, Mr. Stone, welcome to the Grand Paris Hotel! I am Mayor Bourgeois, the owner of this luxury establishment, in fact, the most luxurious in all of Paris. How might we serve you?"

"Well, I didn't just come here to admire your lobby," Jagged Stone says, crossing his arms.

"Jagged would like to check into your most luxurious suite," Penny says.

"And Fang better get a real bathtub, not a tiny water hole like the one in that hotel across the street," Jagged Stone scoffs.

"We have everything you need, Ms. Fang. Even a state-of-the-art entertainment center!" the mayor exclaims, smiling at the star's assistant.

"Fang's my crocodile," the rockstar says flatly, and Mr. Bourgeois laughs nervously.

"Mr. Stone, we have everything you require for your… Fang," he says. "Would he, um… enjoy a bubble bath perhaps?"

"Crocodiles don't like bubble baths. That dries their scales out!"

While listening to the interaction between Jagged Stone and Mayor Bourgeois, Marinette spots a man with blond hair and a purple streak tip-toe into the hotel and duck behind a counter. Fang notices as well, and follows the man, growling upon catching him. The man lets out a cry of fear and surprise, jumping out of his hiding spot and in plain sight.

"Not this guy again…" Jagged Stone groans.

The man runs up to the celebrity and grins widely. "Remember me, Mr. Stone? Vincent Aza! Just one photo to show everyone in the world that we're best buds! Come on, please! I'm your biggest fan!"

"I _know_ ," Jagged Stone grumbles. "You've been to my last thirty-six shows. But we are _not_ friends."

Vincent runs to his side and throws an arm over Jagged Stone's shoulders. "Look into the lens!" he exclaims, holding the camera up high. The second Vincent presses the button, Penny Rolling throws her hand in front of it, making him take a picture of her hand instead.

"Didn't you hear Mr. Stone? You still haven't got it, have you?" Penny asks, snatching his camera. He kicks Vincent out the door and screams, "No photos!" She throws the camera at him, and Vincent manages to catch it before it could hit the ground and possibly break. "Good reflexes. Now don't let me see you near Mr. Stone again. Or next time, you won't get your camera back."

Back inside the hotel, Marinette angrily watches from a distance as Chloe takes several pictures with Adrien.

"I-I think we took enough pictures, Chloe," Adrien says with a nervous smile, gently pushing her phone away.

"But Adrikins!" Chloe pouts, snapping another one. "This is the least you could do after making me delete our class photo!"

Adrien sighs, and pulls on a fake smile as Chloe snaps another picture.

"Mr. Bourgeois, you haven't told Marinette what job she'll be doing," Mme Bustier reminds him once Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling have gone up the elevator.

"Ah, yes. Of course," Mayor Bourgeois says, scanning the paper in his hand. "Marinette—gopher. I've got a job for you already."

"Gopher? What's that?" Alya asks.

Marinette slumps her shoulders. "I'm guessing it's about as bad as trash duty."

Marinette follows Mayor Bourgeois and Mme Bustier all the way up to Jagged Stone's suite, to find him playing with his crocodile, Fang. Penny instead comes to the door to greet them and give them a first task.

"Mr. Stone is going to need a new pair of shades for tonight's gig. Red, white and blue with two large Eiffel Towers on them," Penny explains, and Marinette pulls on a look of confusion. "Can you get that for him?"

"Of course we can! Marinette here is our gopher. She'll take care of that for you," the mayor answers.

"Wh-what?!" Marinette explains.

"A gopher is an employee who goes for anything a customer needs. So go ahead, Mr. Stone is waiting for you," the mayor tells her. Marinette looks up to see Penny looking down at her, and Marinette chuckles nervously.

Marinette exits the hotel and walks all the way to the Eiffel Tower to try to look for sunglasses of red, white and blue with two Eiffel Towers on them. She spots a vendor selling a bunch of shades, and she goes up to him to try to find at least one pair that looks similar to what Jagged Stone wants. She spots one of red and white with two tiny Eiffel Toers on its rim, and shrugs, purchasing it. It cost a good twelve euros (to which Mayor Bourgeois will return) and smiles down at it.

"These should do the trick," Marinette says, placing the shades in a little bag to keep them safe. "My job's done for the day."

"You know these aren't even close to what Mr. Stone wants," Tikki sighs.

"What do you mean, Tikki? There's some red and white on it, and two little Eiffel Towers," Marinette says.

"Where's the blue?" Tikki asks. "And he said _big_ Eiffel Towers, not little ones—" Tikki stops talking and her eyes go wide when she spots a mother and her daughter staring at her with the same expression.

Marinette looks up and panics, and stammers, "C-come on, kitty. Let's go home."

"Meow?" Tikki answers.

Marinette shoots the mother a nervous smile before turning around and sprinting back to the hotel.

* * *

Jagged Stone observes the shades. "Where are the Eiffel Towers?" he asks, clearly unimpressed.

"H-here," Marinette says, pointing at the little Eiffel Towers on the rim. "They're right here."

"This is a joke, right? What are you doing—trying to ruin my career?" Jagged Stone asks, raising his voice and throwing the sunglasses over his shoulder.

"But Mr. Stone, the glasses you want don't exist," Marinette tries to explain.

"Do I look like I care? Just get me those sunglasses!" Jagged Stone yells before storming off.

"He can't be serious," Marinette groans, walking out the door of his suite.

Outside, Tikki flies out of her place in Marinette's purse, and says, "I told you. You should've just done it right the first time."

"Yeah," Marinette sighs. "You're right, Tikki. I get it now."

"Those sunglasses exist somewhere," the kwami says. "Get creative!"

Marinette nods, and makes her way down the stairs and into the main lobby of the hotel. She runs past Chloe and Adrien, the former saying, "Failed as a gopher already? Not surprised!" Marinette responds with an eye roll—she doesn't have time for this.

Right after Marinette exits the hotel, a suspicious-looking man enters, catching both Chloe and Adrien's attention. While Chloe thinks he's just some weirdo, Adrien has his suspicions of him being an akumatized victim.

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in," Chloe snorts. "Let me handle this, Adrien. Watch and learn." Before Adrien can protest, Chloe's already in front of the strange-looking man. "Excuse me! You can't be a guest at this hotel! My father only allows the most important celebrities—like me." Adrien resists the urge to roll his eyes at her words.

"Well then, I am Pixelator—your number one fan," the man grins wickedly.

" _Moi_? Oh, my, you're flattering me. Keep going," Chloe says, flipping her ponytail and fluttering her eyelashes.

"A photo of you?" Pixelator asks, holding his camera up.

"Of course!" Chloe says, striking a pose. "Does my hair look fine? Oh, who am I kidding, _of course_ it does."

"Chloe, look out!" Adrien cries, hopping over the lobby counter to get to her.

"Look into the lens," Pixelator cackles, pressing the button. Adrien jumps at his childhood friend in an attempt to push her out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough, as both he and Chloe disappear in a blink of an eye. Adrien and Chloe are transported to a black, white space that seems never-ending.

"Wh-what just happened?" Chloe asks, her face showing fear as she looks around the place.

"I think we've been like… digitized or something," Adrien says, getting up. He extends his hand out for Chloe to take, helping her back up on her feet.

"What do you mean by _digitized_?" Chloe asks.

"I don't really know, but I don't think it's a good thing," Adrien says.

"Well, I can fix this. Leave it to me," Chloe says, taking her cellphone out. She quickly dials a number and presses her phone to her ear. "Daddy?" she asks, but she isn't getting a connection. " _Daddy_?!"

After several failures of calling her father, Chloe shoves her phone back in her pocket. "Ugh, I still can't get through to daddy! How can there be no cellphone reception here? Ridiculous!"

"It just goes on forever. No doors, no walls," Adrien notes as he looks around. "Nothing."

"You mean we're stuck here?" Chloe cries, but her face suddenly lights up and a grin spreads on her face. "Just… the two of us?"

Adrien freezes. "N-no. There has to be a way out somewhere," he laughs nervously. Chloe suddenly jumps at Adrien, and wraps her arms around him, making him sigh is exasperation. "I hope…"

* * *

"Where did I put them? Oh, here they are!" Marinette exclaims, holding out a pair of old sunglasses. "This is _perfect_ for Jagged Stone!"

"But they're pink," Tikki says with a raised eyebrow.

"They won't be when I'm done with them," Marinette grins. "This is either going to be the coolest pair or the ugliest pair of shades in history. Mme Bustier is grading me on effort, right?" Marinette asks.

"Don't worry—I'm sure Jagged Stone will love them!" Tikki exclaims as Marinette takes a seat at her desk. She pops the glasses' lens out, making Tikki go, "…Or hate them."

"Thanks," Marinette frowns, and Tikki giggles.

After a good thirty minutes or so, Marinette finishes her creation and looks up at it with a smile. "I think this is good enough," she says, shoving the sunglasses inside a little bag. She rushes out of her house and back to the Grand Hotel de Paris, confused to find it unoccupied.

"No one's here?" Tikki asks from her holder's purse.

"I don't know," Marinette answers. "Adrien? Chloe? Ugh, I bet those two have gone off together somewhere."

"Marinette, snap out of it," Tikki says. "Let's just focus on getting Mr. Stone's glasses for now, okay?"

Marinette nods, and heads straight up to Jagged Stone's suite. Once there, she knocks on the door, and the door swings open less than a second later. Marinette cowers under Penny Rolling's harsh glare, and says nothing as she hands her creation to the celebrity's assistant.

"What's this?" Penny asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Th-the sunglasses Mr. Stone wanted me to get him," Marinette stutters.

Penny takes the glasses out of her hands. "Thank you. I'll give them to Mr. Stone," she says.

Before she could close the door, Marinette asks, "Do you think you can deliver them to him now?"

"He's… resting," Penny replies, throwing a glance over her shoulder to see the rockstar bathing his crocodile.

"Okay, no problem. I'm just trying to do the right job the second time around," Marinette grins.

"Got it," Penny says, and slams the door in her face.

"Thank you…" Marinette falters. Sighing, she turns away from the door and heads towards the elevator. Once there, she presses the _Down_ button and waits patiently for it. "I hope Mr. Stone likes them."

Tikki flies out of Marinette's purse and hovers in front of her. "Hard work always pays off," the kwami says.

There's a scream and a flash of bright light behind her, and Marinette resists the urge to scream in horror. The elevator dings open, and Marinette rushes right inside, punching the _Close Door_ button immediately.

"We have to transform!" Marinette says, and Tikki nods her head. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

Marinette becomes Ladybug, and the superheroine breaks into Jagged Stone's suite in time to see the akumatized victim ready to attack him. Before Pixelator could zap him, Ladybug wraps her yoyo around Jagged Stone and pulls him to safety.

"So, you're Ladybug. I've heard such pathetic things about you," the Pixelator smirks, placing a finger over the button on his glasses. "Look into the lens!"

Ladybug manages to drag Jagged Stone out of the way, and goes on to dodge each zap Pixelator shoots at her. She dodges every single one, and counters by throwing any item in her way. In the middle of throwing another attack, Pixelator manages to successfully zap her arm, causing it to be digitized.

In a panic, Ladybug does the first thing that pops into her mind, which is roll Jagged Stone's carrier of luggage at Pixelator. The villain fails to dodge it, and while he's down, Ladybug escapes with Jagged Stone in tow.

Ladybug takes Jagged Stone to École Francoise-Dupont and knocks on the principal's door. Principal Damocles opens it up with a surprised look on his face, but seeing Ladybug, he lets them in without question.

"Stay here until it's safe," Ladybug orders.

"I can't stay here!" Jagged Stone argues. "I'm performing tonight!"

"Look," Ladybug begins. "While I'm catching this guy, Pixelator, I need you to stay put where no one would think to look for you."

"Ladybug, are you sure this is safe?" Principal Damocles asks. "This is a school—full of students."

"Yes, it is," Ladybug assures him. "Pixelator would never imagine his idol staying at a school."

"This is ridiculous. I don't have time for this!" Jagged Stone complains, and Ladybug sighs in exasperation—he's really starting to sound bratty like Chloe. "First, I get practically hijacked by this crazed fan, and then, I'm attacked by some super weirdo, then—"

" _Alright_ , I know you're—" Ladybug pauses. "Wait. What do you know about this crazed fan?"

"He's come to every one of my shows this year. He's also sent me stacks of letters, gone through my trash—he even followed my mother to her weekly bingo night," the rockstar explains.

"Creepy," Ladybug comments.

"Tell me about it," Jagged Stone says.

Ladybug takes her ladybug-printed compact out and tries to spell out _Vincent Aza_ with her digitized hand, but she scowls when it goes right through her weapon. She tries a couple more times, which prove to be in vain, and so resorts to using her nose to type it out. A profile of the civilian counterpart of Pixelator appears on screen, along with all sorts of information about him, including his home address.

"Perfect!" Ladybug exclaims, walking towards the door.

"You're not really going to leave me here, are you?" Jagged Stone asks.

"I'm afraid so," Ladybug says before swinging out of the building.

* * *

"This isn't creepy at all."

Ladybug makes it into Vincent Aza's room to find it filled with posters and photographs of Jagged Stone. While walking around the room, she catches sight of photographs stuck to the wall, and the people in the pictures are… _moving_?

Ladybug does a double-take and sees a bunch of people stuck in a white space. When her eyes land on the photograph of Chloe and Adrien, she scowls.

"Ladybug?" Adrien asks.

"What are you two doing there?" Ladybug asks through gritted teeth, jealousy bubbling inside of her.

"Ladybug!" cries another, catching her attention. Adrien doesn't miss the split-second glare she sent him before turning her attention to another pair of distressed civilians. Ladybug looks down to see Theo and Mireille stuck in a photograph together, both scared out of their minds.

"What happened to you guys?" Ladybug asks.

"We're not so sure ourselves," Theo answers. "This man, he… took a photo of us and we ended up trapped in here!"

"Where were you last?" Ladybug asks.

"We were near the Grand Hotel de Paris," Mireille answers. "He must still be around there!"

"Thank you!" Ladybug says, and starts running out the window she came from. "I'll save you guys, don't worry!"

Adrien doesn't fail to hear her say, "Hopefully Chat Noir's already there…"

Ladybug swings through the city and makes her way to the Grand Hotel de Paris, where she sees Pixelator zapping innocent civilians. Before he could zap another person, Ladybug swings into the scene, deflecting the beam with her yoyo.

"Missed me?" Ladybug asks, and several civilians cheer for her arrival.

"I was expecting you, Ladybug," the Pixelator grins. "Look into the lens!"

The villain proceeds to zap her, but Ladybug manages to dodge the attacks each time. She hides behind a car to catch her breath and think of a plan, when she hears a loud noise coming from behind her. She looks up to see Pixelator looking down at her as he stands on top of the vehicle.

"Say _cheese_!" the villain cackles. Ladybug dodges his zap at the last possible second by sliding underneath the car. She throws her yoyo at a lamppost, but misses it, causing her to trip and fall to the ground. She tries crawling again to safety, but the Pixelator is just too fast.

"Bye bye, little ladybug," Pixelator grins, placing a finger over his glasses.

" _Wait_!" Ladybug cries, holding her hand out. "I have a proposition for you!"

Pixelator stops. "Hm," he begins. "And what might this proposition be?"

"If you free those innocent people, I'll… organize a photoshoot with Jagged Stone!" Ladybug says.

"Why should I believe you, Ladybug?" the Pixelator scoffs.

"Because I'm the only one who knows where Jagged is," she answers.

"How about I free half of them now and the other half after the photoshoot?" the villain says, lowering his arm. "Deal?"

"Deal," Ladybug says in a heartbeat. But under her breath, she mutters, "Yeah, right."

* * *

Adrien and Chloe let out screams of horror when they see themselves getting digitized. The pixels appeared at their feet at first, and they're slowly climbing all the way up to their faces. "What's happening?!" Adrien cries, closing his eyes when the pixels reach his face.

When Adrien opens his eyes, he lets out a gasp to find himself back at the hotel's lobby. He falls to the floor with a _thud_ , but he quickly gets back up on his feet to see the news on the computer screen.

"Dudes! You just scared me!" Nino cries from his place on the floor—he fell when Adrien and Chloe appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"Fill in for me, will you Nino?" Adrien asks as he sprints out of the hotel.

"What do you think I've been doing this whole time?" Nino calls out after him.

After running past the automatic sliding doors, Adrien looks up to see Ladybug slowly crawling away as Pixelator plays with his glasses-camera. He's probably still freeing people from his photographs, and Ladybug is taking this as a chance to escape.

Adrien runs behind the nearest billboard in order to transform, and Plagg flies out of his pocket to say a few words. "Phew, I thought we'd be stuck in there forever," the kwami says. "There was _one_ slice of Camembert left in your pocket!"

Adrien's face falls. "Oh yeah, and us being stuck in an empty frame and possibly getting ripped from existence doesn't faze you at all—"

"Adrien?"

He freezes in place, and Plagg flies right back into his wielder's pocket. Adrien turns around to see Ladybug in the distance, hiding behind a car. She takes a peak to check if Pixelator is looking, and when he isn't, she sprints towards him.

"Buga—" Adrien coughs. "L-Ladybug?"

"So it _is_ you," Ladybug says. "I'm so glad you're free from that photograph."

"Please, I'd rather have been stuck in there if it meant—" Adrien freezes for a moment, and looks down at his attire to see his normal, civilian clothes. "Oh, no."

"What's wrong?" Ladybug asks. "Cat got your tongue?" Adrien twitches. "Speaking of which, where _is_ Chat Noir…"

"H-he's been photographed!" Adrien splutters. "I saw him get digitized before Chloe and I did."

"Really?" Ladybug asks. "He should be out now, shouldn't he? Unless he wasn't part of this half…" Adrien sighs in relief knowing that his lie made sense. "I can't do this alone—not with a digitized arm." Her face visibly brightens, and she looks up at Adrien and asks, "Hey! Do you mind being my partner for today?"

"Wh-what?!" Adrien cries. "You want to be partners with me?!"

"Just for this mission!" Ladybug pleads. "It's not very easy when I can't even use my right arm…"

Adrien almost responds in a Chat Noir-like manner, when he's reminded once again that he's still in his civilian form. He can't let Ladybug know that he "hates" her in fear of revealing his identity.

"Alright!" Adrien answers with a fake grin, and his fake fanboy act is fully activated. "Me, fighting crime with Ladybug? That's awesome! What do I do?"

"Follow my lead," Ladybug grins, and runs back to Pixelator when he's done freeing half of his hostages.

"I get my part of the deal, Ladybug, now bring me Jagged Stone," the akumatized victim says.

"I know your akuma's inside your glasses, Pixelator," Ladybug says loudly and robotically, and Adrien nods his head, slowly approaching the villain.

"Stop wasting time!" the villain snarls. Just as Adrien is about to take the Pixelator's glasses off, a civilian makes a noise in the background, causing the villain to turn around and see Adrien right there. Adrien lets out a nervous laugh before attempting to run away, but the Pixelator trips him, grabs him by the legs and throws him at Ladybug.

Adrien lands on top of her, making both of them grimace. "Hey, get o—" Ladybug begins, but she stops herself from finishing her sentence because she's Ladybug right now, not Marinette. Adrien gets off and stands, holding his hand out for her to take.

"Need a hand?" he asks.

Ladybug grabs him with her digitized hand first. "I do, actually," she snickers before grabbing his hand with her other one.

"What about our deal?!" Pixelator cries.

"It's off!" Ladybug answers. She turns to Adrien and says, "You know where the akuma is."

Adrien nods at her, and the two go straight into action. Ladybug discovers that Adrien is actually really good at hand-to-hand combat, which probably stems from all those years of fencing he's had so far. Pixelator manages to snap a picture of his arm, however, and Adrien lets out a cry of horror when his arm becomes digitized just like Ladybug's.

The Pixelator is just about to zap him when Ladybug hits him on the side of his head with her yoyo, causing him to miss his target. The villain turns all his attention on her, and Ladybug dodges, when her leg is suddenly digitized. She falls off the car she was standing on, and gasps to see another part of her body pixelated.

"Say _cheese_ …" Pixelator grins, but just as he's about to press the button on his glasses-camera, Adrien runs in front of Ladybug and throws his arms in front of her.

Ladybug's eyes widen, and suddenly, she's reminded of the Timebreaker episode, when Chat Noir did the exact same thing to save her. He and Adrien… they really are so similar.

"Oh, would you look at this?" Pixelator cackles. "I've always wanted to have a photograph of two lovers on my wall…"

"Hey there, Pixelator! I've heard you wanted my photo!"

All three turn their heads to see Jagged Stone standing on the roof of a car, posing as if he were at a photoshoot for his latest magazine.

"Jagged Stone?" Adrien asks aloud. "What are you doing?! Get out of here!"

"Jagged Stone!" the akumatized victim exclaims, walking towards him. "It's about time you showed up!"

"It's me you wanted all this time, right?" the celebrity asks. "Well, here I am in the flesh."

"Look into the lens," Pixelator orders, grinning evilly. "You'll be mine now—"

"Wait, wrong side," Jagged Stone says, striking another pose. "This isn't my best angle. No, no, wait!" He makes another, and another, and another. "The lighting's all wrong. Does my nose look shorter this way? You're a photographer, right? Which pose is better?" He makes yet another pose, and the Pixelator's patience is clearly wearing thin. "Oh, I know, this is better!"

"Hurry up already!" the villain cries.

Seeing that Pixelator's distracted, Adrien helps Ladybug back up on her feet and tells her, "Your Lucky Charm seems like a good idea right about now."

Ladybug nods. "LUCKY CHARM!" She throws her yoyo towards the sky, and falls down instead is a powder compact. "A powder compact?"

"Nice, how about we give Pixelator a little makeover," Adrien says. Ladybug looks up at him, and unexpectedly starts _laughing_. "Uh… am I really that funny?"

"No, no, it's just—" Ladybug wipes away a tear. "That's sounds just like something Chat would say."

Adrien mentally slaps himself. "Right," he laughs nervously. "So, what's your Lucky Charm telling you?"

Ladybug scans her surroundings and memorizes the ladybug-printed pattern she's given. "It's telling me," she begins, running off to the nearest tree. She rips off a tree branch and its leaves and extra little branches, and hands it to her partner for the day. "That you're good at baseball."

Adrien takes the branch out of her hands, and nods. "When you're ready," he says. "Though I'll have you know that I'm not very good at swinging with one arm."

"You'll do great, I know it," she smiles. Ladybug gets close to Pixelator to know exactly when he's going to shoot, and when he says those two words ( _say cheese!_ ), she yells over to Adrien, "Batter up!"

Ladybug throws the compact powder at Adrien, who successfully hits it, launching it in the Pixelator's direction. Right when the villain hits the button on his glasses, the compact twirls in front of him, making him hit the mirror and digitize himself, leaving behind nothing but his glasses.

Ladybug walks over to the glasses and crushes them under her feet, and a black butterfly flies out of the akumatized item. Ladybug successfully catches it with her compact, and she says "Bye bye, little butterfly," as a white butterfly flies out of it.

Ladybug walks over to Adrien and holds out a fist. "For being a good partner," she grins. "Pound it?"

Adrien rolls his eyes while smiling. "Pound it," he says, holding out his fist. Both of their fists go through each other, causing them both to laugh upon realizing that they both held up their digitized hands.

"I'll fix this," Ladybug laughs, throwing her Lucky Charm up in the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" Sparkly, magic dust travels around the city, restoring it to its former glory. When Adrien and Ladybug's hands are all right again, they fist-bump each other with a grin and a laugh.

"Thanks again for helping me out," Ladybug says. "It was nice partnering up with you. Who knows—it might happen again."

"You think so?" Adrien asks, his fake fanboy persona back. "That would be cool!"

"I wonder where Chat Noir is," Ladybug asks. "Oh, who am I kidding? He wouldn't go through the trouble of coming here to see me, that jerk."

Adrien furrows his eyebrows. "Chat Noir's not a jerk," he says, defending his pride. "He probably got digitized somewhere far away. He wouldn't make it here in time to see you before you transform back."

"You're right," she sighs, and a warning beep resounds from her earrings. "Well, take care, Adrien."

"You too," Adrien replies as he watches her go. When she disappears behind buildings, he scowls, "Ah man, we're tied again. And I was finally in the lead."

* * *

Adrien enters the Grand Hotel de Paris to see his teacher and classmates all gathered at the lobby. "Thank you very much for this work experience day, Mr. Bourgeois. I'm sure we'll all remember it for a long time to come," Mme Bustier says.

"So do I. Oh, wait, I almost forgot," Mayor Bourgeois says. "Jagged Stone is having a concert tonight, so I'm giving tickets to the students who demonstrated the greatest effort today."

Penny Rolling walks over to the group of students and starts handing out tickets. She gives one to Alya, Nino, Marinette, and skips Chloe to give one to Adrien as well as the other students.

"Excuse me?! Where's _my_ ticket?!" Chloe complains. " _Ridiculous_!"

* * *

"Good evening, Paris!"

The entire class, minus Chloe, is at Jagged Stone's concert, watching from their places in the VIP seats the rockstar provided each one of them.

"This is my first live concert ever! It's _amazing_!" Adrien exclaims happily, eyes bright and sparkling. Marinette laughs at his childishness, and leans over the rails he's leaning on. This reminds her of her late-night talks with Chat Noir as they both lean over her balcony, and her mind goes back to that day's events.

"So, Adrien," Marinette begins, catching his attention. "I heard you partnered up with Ladybug today."

"Yeah, I did," Adrien answers, eyes kept glued at the stage.

"What did you think about her?" she asks, eager to hear his response.

"I would've preferred it if Chat Noir were there," Adrien answers automatically. "Ladybug's a bit of a klutz."

Marinette twitches. "Ladybug's _not_ a klutz," she defends.

"Nah, she really is," Adrien laughs. "She got her arm _and_ leg digitized today. Clumsy, right? Chat Noir would've done a _way_ better job."

"Yeah, well, where was Chat Noir all day? He didn't even show up at all!" Marinette retorts.

"Maybe he got digitized someplace far, who knows?" Adrien says with furrowed eyebrows. "Why are you getting so riled up?"

"I'm not!"

"Oh yeah, I definitely believe you! And aren't you on Team Chat? Shouldn't you be agreeing with me?"

"But Ladybug's just as cool!"

"Ladybug and cool should _not_ be in the same sentence—"

" _Guys_." Adrien and Marinette turn around at the sound of Alya's voice to see their classmates with exhausted looks on their faces. "For once," Alya says, massaging her temples. "Can you two please _shut up so we can all enjoy the concert_."

"Sorry," Adrien and Marinette say at the same time before turning around to look back at the stage. They each shoot each other a glare before turning away with a _hmph!_ However, Adrien fails to see Marinette glance at him one last time before turning to the stage.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to the girl who saved my life today," Jagged Stone says, putting on his Eiffel Tower sunglasses and taking a seat on the piano bench. "This one's for you, Ladybug!" Jagged Stone proceeds to play a piano version of _Miraculous_ , the song featured on the LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat, making the whole crowd cheer louder.

"What about Chat Noir?" Marinette hears Adrien grumble, and she laughs.

"He'll dedicate one for him soon too, I know it," Marinette tells him before going back to singing along with her classmates.

Adrien looks over at her, and upon seeing her smiling face, he smiles wider. Marinette notices this, and looks over at him, asking, "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Yeah, right here," he says, flicking her forehead.

"I hate you," she frowns, rubbing the spot he flicked in order to soothe the pain.

"I know," he laughs, turning back to the stage.

Marinette looks up at him, and a small smile forms on her lips as she recalls the time she once meant it when she said, "I hate you," to Adrien.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm not really a fan of Ladrien, but I am pretty happy with how this chapter turned out. We get to see Marinette/Ladybug slowly getting a soft spot for Adrien, a friendly Ladybug and Adrien team-up, and a jealous Ladybug. Adrien's fake "fanboy" behavior is a reference to Marinette's behavior towards Chat Noir in the actual show. She acts pretty fangirl-ish towards him so as to not give out any hints that she's Ladybug. But as you can see, Adrien can't seem to hold his tongue when it comes to insulting his rival LOL.

Thank you for the favorites, alerts and reviews! I really appreciate them! :')

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:**

 **Ladybug: 12  
Chat Noir: 12**

 _Next Episode: Guitar Villain_


	23. Guitar Villain: Striking False Notes

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 23_

Guitar Villain: Striking False Notes

"Wait, wait, wait," Marinette says, eyes filled with excitement and happiness. "You want _me_ to design the album cover for _Jagged Stone_? My all-time favorite singer?!"

"That's right," Jagged Stone's contractor, Mr. Roth, says. "Requested by Jagged Stone himself."

"I can't believe this. This just sounds so unreal," Marinette says, cupping her cheeks with her hands. This _has_ to be a dream."

"It isn't," Mr. Roth confirms. "I could call him up right now just to prove it to you."

"I'm going to design a CD album cover for _Jagged Stone_ ," she says as she tries to calm herself down. "This has to be one of the greatest days of my _life_. Does he want a specific design? Or should I just do whatever pops into mind?"

"He actually _does_ have something in mind. I brought a few visuals that could give you a good idea on what exactly he's looking for." Mr. Roth hands Marinette a copy of XY's newest CD, and Marinette raises an eyebrow when her eyes land on the case.

"This doesn't seem like Jagged Stone's style…" Marinette falters. "No offense, but… it kind of looks like a perfume ad."

"This is the new direction Jagged Stone wants to take!" Mr. Roth exclaims. "More modern, current, _aesthetic_."

"Really? Wow," Marinette says uneasily. "I was thinking a bit more like—"

"Yes, but _this_ ," he interrupts, pointing at the CD cover. "Is what's popular these days. Jagged Stone would like to, you know, follow the trends."

"Oh," Marinette says, looking down at the XY album in her hands. "That doesn't sound like him at all."

"People change, Marinette," the contractor says. "You can't expect Jagged Stone to be the exact same way forever."

"I guess," she mumbles.

"Just one thing—we're in a bit of a hurry for the album's release, so I need the cover done by the end of the day," the man says, making Marinette face blanch. "Are you up to it?"

Marinette is about to say something, when she takes a split second glance at her parents. They look far too proud and happy, she didn't want to turn their smiles into frowns.

"…Sure," she tells the contractor with a fake smile. "It'll be done by tonight."

Mr. Roth nods. "Perfect," he says, turning around to head for the exit. Before shutting the door behind him, he says, "I'll come by later to pick it up!"

Once Mr. Roth disappears behind the door of the bakery, Tom and Sabine approach their daughter. "We're so proud of you, Marinette," Tom says, grinning down at her. "Not only are you a fashion designer, but an album cover designer too? You're going to do great, we just know it."

After a quick hug from her parents, Marinette runs up the stairs and into her room to start on the album cover. She hooks her tablet up to her computer, and turns on some XY music for inspiration. Tikki flies out of Marinette's purse and sits on the desk so she can watch her wielder work.

"Can you believe it, Tikki?" Marinette screams excitedly. "Jagged Stone asked _me_ , out of all people, to design his latest CD cover!"

"I heard," Tikki giggles at her holder's enthusiasm. "I'm sure you'll do great!"

"I'm a bit surprised that he wants to copy XY's style," Marinette frowns. "Oh, well. We'll see how this goes."

Marinette starts working right away, but a quarter of the way done with her design, she covers her ears with her hands and groans. She slams the off button on her music player, and Tikki looks up at her worriedly.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" the ladybug kwami asks.

"It's still bugging me—why does Jagged Stone want to change his style?" Marinette asks, looking down at the pink-purple XY cover. "XY's music is so… lifeless. Repetitive. Mundane—the total opposite of Jagged's—and what I've just done here is so not my style either."

"Why are you doing it then?" Tikki asks, hovering over the tablet to take a better look at Marinette's work. It's a picture of Jagged Stone's profile, painted in different shades of pink and purple. It looks more like a pop album cover rather than a rock album cover.

"Because that's what I was told to do," Marinette replies. "Jagged Stone asked for this kind of thing specifically. I wouldn't want him throwing it over his shoulder because I didn't do as I was told."

"Maybe you should follow your gut feeling and do something that's really you," Tikki advises. "I'm sure he'd like it anyway—it'd come from the heart."

"I don't know, Tikki. You heard what Mr. Roth said," she says, lowering her voice to deliver the next line. "This is what's selling these days!"

"Yeah, but are you sure Jagged Stone asked for this?" the kwami asks. "What if Mr. Roth lied that Jagged wanted it in this style?"

"Ugh, I'm so confused," Marinette groans. "I can't deal with all this pressure."

"Marinette—superhero, defender of the innocent, fighter of all the rights—can't deal with _pressure_?" Tikki laughs, and Marinette laughs along with her kwami before continuing her work.

* * *

"What happened to the raw, impulsive artistry that made this?" Jagged Stone asks, tossing the album cover Marinette made over his shoulder.

After being picked up by Mr. Roth, Marinette finds herself facing a very disappointed Jagged Stone in his hotel room at the Grand Hotel de Paris. She eyes her whole afternoon's work lying on the cold floor, and shrinks under the unimpressed look her favorite singer is giving her.

"D-didn't you ask me to make it that way?" Marinette asks, making Jagged Stone raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Mr. Roth told me—"

"Marinette's young, Jag," Mr. Roth interrupts, taking a step forward to block her from view. Marinette scowls at the older man's action. "She represents our target audience; she's come up with a modern concept that's exactly what you need!"

"Yeah, _no_ ," Jagged Stone says,and then averts his attention to Marinette. "It looks a lot like the cover of that YZ guy. Marinette, don't listen to Bob. Could you do another one? You know, _Jagged_ style?"

"Of course—!" Marinette says, but blanches when Mr. Roth places a hand on her shoulder. His grip on her shoulder tightens when she looks up at him. "B-but I don't know if—"

"You're my girl, Marinette. I bet it was hard for you to design something so ridiculously childish-looking," Jagged Stone grins at her, and Marinette nods at his words. "Remember—raw, impulsive artistry. I think we're all done here, Bob."

"No, we are not— _gah_!" Mr. Roth cowers in fear when Fang, Jagged Stone's crocodile, growls at him.

While Mr. Roth is distracted, Penny Rolling, Jagged Stone's assistant, takes this as the opportunity to escort Marinette out of the hotel room. "Come with me, Marinette," she says kindly, and Marinette follows her. "Don't worry about him, just do your best."

"Thank you," Marinette smiles. "I'll get it right this time around."

After a quick goodbye to Penny Rolling and Jagged Stone, Marinette makes her way down the elevator and to the main lobby. She memorizes the features on XY's album cover, hoping it could bring her some form of inspiration, when a familiar car parks itself in front of the hotel.

Marinette sees Adrien step out of the car, and he looks up to see her staring at him. She's about to greet him politely (for once), when a smirk spreads itself on his face. "Like what you see?" Adrien smirks.

"Ugh, do you always have to talk like that?" Marinette scowls as she makes her way towards him.

Adrien notices the XY CD album in her hands when she stops in front of him. "Is that an XY CD?" Adrien asks, pointing at it. "Don't tell me you actually _like_ the guy."

"What, this?" Marinette holds it up. "This is for—"

"Wow. Not only do you have bad taste in—" Adrien stops, making a thinking pose. Then, he drops his arms and smirks at her, "No, you actually have bad taste in everything."

"I do _not_ listen to XY," Marinette says as calmly as possible. "He has the same whiny voice as you."

Adrien twitches. "Why, you—" he begins, but is unfortunately cut off by the sound of high-pitched screaming. Chloe bolts out of the hotel and runs over tot he couple, pushing Marinette aside in the process. Marinette glares at Chloe's actions, but glares even darker at Adrien for not doing anything about it.

"Adrikins! There you are! I have a surprise for you!" Chloe says as she wraps her arms around his neck. "I know you're a big fan of Jagged Stone's, so _I_ scheduled a private meeting with him for you! He's staying right here in daddy's hotel. Aren't I the best?"

"O-oh, thanks, Chloe," Adrien says, gently lowering her arms. He shoots Marinette a split-second glance, gulping at the intensity of her glare. "That's cool of you."

"I know, right?" she answers, and then proceeds to grab his arm instead. She pulls him into the Grand Hotel de Paris, and Marinette grits her teeth in jealousy as she watches them disappear beyond the doors.

Tikki giggles at her wielder's reaction, and asks, "You all right, Marinette?"

"Peachy," Marinette replies, holding her purse up to talk to her kwami clearer. " _Anyways_ , did you hear that? Adrien likes Jagged Stone too. Now, I definitely can't mess up the artwork."

Tikki smirks. "And why's that?"

"B-because if I don't design it well… th-that jerk won't give me a break," Marinette stutters, but Tikki only laughs as she can see past her holder's act. Marinette suddenly hears a hum of confusion and turns around to see Adrien's driver looking at her with a raised eyebrow. His eyes flicker to the purse in her hands, and Marinette nervously says, "Uh, talking bag! New technology imported from Japan!"

With a nervous giggle, Marinette turns on her heel and sprints back home.

* * *

"You and I both like the same kind of music! Isn't that awesome?" Chloe asks while she and Adrien patiently wait for the elevator to come down.

"I thought you liked XY?" Adrien asks, recalling the many times he caught her singing to his songs.

Chloe is clearly taken aback by his words. "Uh, of course I do, don't you?" she asks.

"Not really, no," Adrien answers, shaking his head.

"Oh, neither do I! See? We have the same great taste," Chloe says proudly, and Adrien gives her a questioning look before shrugging it off. "We have _so much_ in common!"

A loud roar suddenly shakes the entire building, and Chloe and Adrien turn around to see a purple dragon and a man in a dark-colored skin-tight suit at the top of the lobby's stairs. "I heard you, Bob! From here on out, you can call me Guitar Villain! I'll never do a duet with XY—in fact, soon there won't even be an XY! Rock and rift, baby!"

Guitar Villain plays a short solo on his electric guitar, and an electric wave of violet hits Mr. Roth and an interviewer, who are both sitting on the couches near the elevator. After being hit, they get up on their feet and start head-banging and dancing around involuntarily.

"Soon there'll be nothing but Guitar Villain fans, the one and only rocker on earth!" the akumatized victim screams, pumping his fist in the air.

"Hurry, Adrien! Get me out of here!" Chloe cries. The elevator doors finally ding open, and Adrien carries Chloe inside before running back out to find a place to transform. The blond waits for the villain to exit the hotel before letting Plagg out of his pocket.

"That's Jagged Stone, isn't it?" Plagg says, stretching his arms after being awoken from his nap.

Adrien blinks. "Wow, Plagg. How'd you know?"

"That solo sounded a lot like the music on your phone," the black cat kwami says.

"You looked through my phone?!" Adrien cries. "Ever heard of the word _privacy_?"

"Nope," Plagg says. "Now, let's beat Jagged Stone just like how XY beat him on the charts."

"Not cool," Adrien says, punching the air. "PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

Adrien becomes Chat Noir, and he leaps out of the hotel to see Guitar Villain and his dragon, which he assumes is his crocodile Fang, causing havoc around the city. Chat Noir jumps onto the nearest monument and shouts, "Hey, Jagged! Come on, why don't you try to rock my world?"

"The name's Guitar Villain," the rockstar says. "Now, how about a little guitar solo?" Guitar Villain strikes a chord on his electric guitar, and an orange beam of light bursts out of it. Chat Noir manages to dodge it, but the ray hits the monument, making it crack and crumble to the ground.

Guitar Villain continuously shoots beams in the black cat superhero's direction, but Chat Noir dodges them all flawlessly. His bad luck seems to have begun, however, when he trips over his own feet, resulting in him getting hit by one of the villain's rays. Chat Noir is suddenly thrown against a building's brick walls, and he groans when he hears a painful crack.

"So long, cat," Guitar Villain says, playing another chord. Chat Noir closes his eyes, awaiting the pain of the beam of light, but it never comes. He opens his eyes to see Ladybug in front of him, and she seems to have deflected his attack with her spinning yoyo.

"Are you okay, Chat Noir?" Ladybug asks in alarm.

"I'm good," he replies. Chat Noir stands on his feet and says, "I was doing fine, just to let you know."

"Oh yeah, it sure seemed like it," Ladybug says sarcastically. They hear a loud roar and look up to see Fang, Guitar Villain's dragon, flying towards them at maximum speed.

"I got him," Chat Noir says, bouncing off the brick wall behind him to launch himself towards the mythical creature. Fang opens its mouth to swallow him up, but Chat Noir extends his silver staff before the dragon could take a bite.

Angry, Fang accelerates its flying, making Chat Noir loosen his grip on his staff. While falling from the sky, Chat Noir grins when he manages to catch his staff when the dragon spits it out. His grin disappears, however, when he slams into a lamppost. While holding his face, waiting for the pain to disappear, Guitar Villain flies into the scene on Fang's back.

"You both wasted my time!" the akumatized victim accuses. "I've got a concert to get to!" Guitar Villain flies off towards the Eiffel Tower, and Chat Noir and Ladybug jump on the roof of a townhouse.

"Follow him!" Ladybug says, swinging off with her yoyo, and Chat Noir follows behind by pole-vaulting from one roof to another. The two superheroes get there in time to see Theo Barbot on the floor while Guitar Villain yells something about XY to him. The villain's glare darkens when his eyes land on both heroes. Ladybug and Chat Noir both rush to Theo's side, who's clearly trying to suppress a scream of horror.

"I've had enough of this," the akumatized victim says. "To the news studio, Fang!" Guitar Villain jumps off the Eiffel Tower's rails, and Fang catches him, flying them both to the villain's desired location.

"Are you all right?" Ladybug asks Theo, holding a hand out for him to take. Chat Noir scowls in jealousy, remembering the time Theo was transformed into Copycat due to his affections for Ladybug.

Theo reaches out a hand to take Ladybug's, but Chat Noir pushes her out of the way and grabs the brunet's hand instead. "He looks fine," Chat Noir says. "Right?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Theo answers, getting up on his feet. "Thank you for saving me, both of you."

"It's no problem," Ladybug says. She then turns to her rival and says, "He's gone to the news station."

"He's going to get there before either of us," Chat Noir says.

"Then, we better make sure that he doesn't find what he's looking for," Ladybug says, dialing a number on her yoyo.

"Alright, well, while you're talking to them, I'll take a head start," Chat Noir grins, leaping off the tower.

"Hey! Wait up, you jerk!" Ladybug screams, but Chat Noir only laughs in response. After a quick call to the news station telling them to keep XY safe, Ladybug bids Theo goodbye and swings towards the news station. She sees Chat noir talking to XY, who has on an unimpressed look on his face.

"For the last time, I have to get you to safety!" Chat Noir tells him, clearly annoyed.

"Why should I go with _you_?" XY asks in a spoiled tone and crossed arms. "What's this Guitar Villain going to do? Blow me away with his evil guitar solo?"

" _Yes_ , actually," Ladybug says as she runs up to them.

"Once one of us catches Guitar Villain, we'll both get you to the Eiffel Tower, just in time for your live performance," Chat Noir says.

"Who even cares? My team can just project my image on stage," XY scoffs. "Live concerts are so ten minutes ago—"

XY is interrupted when Fang flies into the scene and kidnaps him by chomping down on him. Chat Noir and Ladybug watch in horror as a terrified XY is flown up into the sky along with a cackling Guitar Villain.

"Great," Chat Noir groans. "Back to square one."

"Guess so," Ladybug sighs.

The sun fully sets by the time the two heroes make it to the Eiffel Tower, and they both gasp when they see Guitar Villain forcing XY to walk to the edge of a wooden plank, similar to a pirate forcing one of his ship mates off the ship. Before Chat Noir and Ladybug could intervene, Guitar Villain plays a solo on his guitar, causing the earth to shake.

"XY's going to fall!" Ladybug cries, pointing at the wiggling plank. "We have to get up there!"

She throws her yoyo at the top of the tower, and her weapon locks onto something. However, before she could swing her way up, Fang flies into the scene and detaches Ladybug's string from its secure place. This causes Ladybug to lose balance from her place on the Eiffel Tower's slim iron bars, making her fall off.

"LADYBUG!" Chat Noir screams as he watches her fall. Ladybug quickly throws her yoyo at the dragon, and grins when it wraps around its neck. She pulls on her weapon, and manages to land on top of Fang's head. Chat Noir lets out a sigh of relief when he sees that she's safe.

"Easy, Fang," Ladybug says softly. "Nice dragon—" Fang reacts by shaking its head to try to get her to fall off. "Ugh, enough already! I don't have time for this!" She commands the dragon to change trajectory by pulling on her yoyo, and she flies back over to the tower to pick up her rival. Chat Noir sees Fang flying towards him and vaults himself onto the dragon's back with the help of his staff.

"Hey, make some room, will you?" Chat Noir jokes, but internally, he's just glad that she's all right.

"I'll push you off," Ladybug glares.

"You wouldn't," he says confidently. Ladybug remains silent, and tries not to lose focus when Chat Noir holds onto her shoulders. The ladybug superhero flies Fang over to Guitar Villain, nearly knocking him to his feet.

"My dragon!" the villain gasps.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, hurry!" XY cries desperately.

Guitar Villain hops onto the rails. "You're too late! Nothing can stop Guitar Villain! Rock and rift, baby!" he screams, head-banging and playing a new solo on his guitar. Several rays of energy fly out of his weapon at random, and Ladybug does her absolute best to dodge each attack.

"Unfortunately for you, we only rock to the real Jagged Stone!" Ladybug screams. "Chat Noir, the akuma must be in his guitar!"

"How do we get to that?" Chat Noir asks, moving his hands from her shoulders to her waist when Fang starts performing loops in the sky. Ladybug tries to calm her beating heart at this action.

"W-we'll find a way," she replies, making Fang dive towards the tower. The dragon ends up getting lodged in the space between the Eiffel Tower's iron bars, and Ladybug and Chat Noir are knocked off its head.

The two heroes are hanging over separate iron bars, and Chat Noir asks his rival, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ladybug says, her face warming at the very possible thought that he was worried about whether she got hurt or not. They jump all the way up to the top, seeing Guitar Villain attacking XY with yet another solo.

"End this already," Chat Noir tells his rival. "I doubt my Cataclysm can do anything in this situation."

"Is this a free point for me?"

"You can shut up."

Ladybug giggles. "LUCKY CHARM!" she screams, throwing her yoyo in the air. A can of hair gel falls into her hands, making her raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Extreme fixing hair gel?"

"Are you planning on doing his hair?" Chat Noir asks with a straight face.

Ladybug looks around the place, seeing only one thing flash a ladybug-printed pattern. "Actually… yes!" she says, making Chat Noir blink in surprise.

While playing his guitar, Guitar Villain catches sight of the two heroes, turning his attention towards them. "I see you two are back again," he says. "How about another song?" He starts playing the same guitar solo he played earlier while battling Chat Noir, angering the black cat hero.

"That's _enough_!" Chat Noir screams, jumping and spinning his staff over his head, ready to deliver a blow at the akumatized victim. Guitar Villain deflects his attack with the head of his guitar, and the two are fighting on the plank of wood, similar to pirates fighting with swords.

While the villain's distracted, Ladybug quietly climbs up the walls to make a surprise attack. She shakes the can of gel in her hands before jumping in the middle of their battle and spraying the head-banging villain in the face. His pink-ish hair gets glued to his face, preventing him from seeing.

"I can't see!" Guitar Villain cries, clawing at his stubborn hair. This action causes him to drop his electric guitar, making Ladybug grin victoriously. "What happened?!"

Ladybug is about to pick up his electric guitar, when XY suddenly cries, "Hey! Don't forget about me! Please!"

XY screams when the plank beneath his feet breaks and Ladybug throws her yoyo at him, successfully grabbing hold of one of his legs. The popstar gets reeled all the way up again, and he falls on top of the electric guitar, breaking it. A black butterfly flies out of the akumatized item, and Ladybug successfully catches it with her compact, saying, "Bye bye, little butterfly," as a butterfly white as snow flies out of it.

"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" Glittery, magic dust travels around the city, bringing everything back to the way it was before. A black and violet cloud envelops Guitar Villain, turning him back into Jagged Stone.

"What's _he_ doing here?" XY asks in disgust, pointing a finger at his musical rival.

"He came here to tell you that, uh, perhaps you underestimated the power of his music?" Ladybug says.

"This guy's _crazy_ ," XY cries.

Jagged Stone coughs, and stands up. "Thank you," he says, arms akimbo.

"Can I have an autograph please?" Chat Noir politely asks, approaching the musician with a pen and a copy of Jagged Stone's past album (that he got out of seemingly nowhere).

Jagged Stone grins and signs the hero's album, saying, "There'll be a new one out real soon!"

"That reminds me—I still have work to do!" Ladybug cries. "Goodbye, Jagged Stone! See you later for patrol, Chat!" She jumps off the tower, and swings off into the night, leaving behind a confused rival and rockstar.

* * *

"All done!"

Marinette holds up her finished work with a proud smile on her face. She spent all night making the design for Jagged Stone's new album as well as a customized, scented sticker she's planning on sticking on it.

"Good job, Marinette," Tikki grins. "Let's go show it to him!"

Nodding, Marinette leaps down the stairs and runs out the door of her house to get to the Grand Hotel de Paris. She runs over to the elevator and impatiently waits for it to reach her floor. When it finally does, she runs inside and presses the button to the highest floor of the hotel. When the doors slide open to let her through, Marinette runs over to Jagged Stone's hotel room, staring up at the door nervously. With a gulp, she lifts up a fist and knocks on the door.

Penny Rolling is the one to answer the door. "Good morning, Marinette," she greets kindly.

"Good morning," she answers, holding up her album cover. "I, uh, finished the design."

"Perfect!" Penny exclaims, letting her in. She leads Marinette to the living room, where Jagged Stone and Mr. Roth are currently at. While the former has a nonchalant look on his face, the latter looks absolutely furious.

"Ah, Marinette, you're here," Jagged Stone acknowledges. "Did you finish the design?"

"I did," she answers, handing him her completed work. She watches his blank facial expression nervously as he scans every single detail on her box cover. When a wide grin breaks out on his face, Marinette lets out the breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"Oh, yeah! This is it!" Jagged Stone exclaims, looking up from the cover to grin at her. "I love it! I can almost smell the leather and sweat just radiating off this design!" He smells the album, blinking at the scent. "Wait, what's that?"

"I, uh, concocted a special scented sticker for your album," Marinette says bashfully. "I hope that's all right."

"All right? It's more than all right!" Jagged Stone grins. "I got to have it! It's authentic! It's original! It's so… Jagged!"

"No, you can't! It's not what the public—" Mr. Roth begins.

"Fine! Then, I'm out of here!" the rockstar interrupts. "I'm sure another record company would be perfectly happy with a number two chart topper!"

Marinette walks up to Mr. Roth and hands him the XY album he gave her with a content smile on her face. The contractor snatches it out of her hands and storms out the door.

"Good job, Marinette," Jagged Stone tells her. "I can't thank you enough."

Marinette grins.

* * *

The next day at school, Marinette is attacked by her best friend, who shoves a magazine in her face. "TELL ME THIS ISN'T YOU," Alya screams, pointing at a picture of Jagged Stone and Marinette posing together for the picture. "YOU DID _NOT_ DESIGN HIS LATEST ALBUM COVER, DID YOU?!"

"Actually, I did," Marinette says, grinning.

"That's _amazing_!" Alya says, giving her best friend a quick hug. "You did a great job on it!"

"Hey, Marinette."

Alya and Marinette turn their heads at the same time to see Adrien standing in front of them with Jagged Stone's latest album in his hands.

"Adrien?" Marinette blinks.

"Um, I heard you designed Jagged Stone's new album cover," he says, holding it up.

"I did," Marinette confirms. She scowls, "What, are you here to insult it?"

"No, I, uh, wanted to ask if I could maybe get it… autographed?" Adrien asks with pink cheeks, nervously shifting from one foot to the other.

"Oh! Sure, no problem," Marinette says easily, and Adrien's face brightens. "I'll be sure to ask Jagged Stone for you, don't worry."

Adrien's face falls. "I, uh… actually meant… you," he says, barely above a whisper. "I want _your_ autograph, Marinette."

"M-mine?" Marinette stutters, face flushed.

Adrien nods. "If that's all right with you?" he asks, holding his album out along with a black marker. "I-I mean, it's fine if you aren't—"

"No, no, it's completely fine!" Marinette exclaims, taking the album and pen out of his hands. She signs her name on it, and gives it back to Adrien, who looks like he's about to burst with joy.

"Thanks, Marinette," Adrien smiles. "I'll see you in class. Good job on the album cover. It's really well-done."

"Th-thanks, Adrien. See you in class," Marinette says, and watches as he walks away with pink cheeks.

"Okay, did I just imagine it or for the first time _ever_ , you and Adrien actually had a _normal_ conversation—no insults, no nothing?" Alya says, snapping Marinette out of her daze.

"Oh… you're right," Marinette says softly. "That's weird."

"The world must be ending," Alya says dramatically. "Adrien and Marinette getting along? That's like Chat Noir and Ladybug officially becoming partners!"

"Hey, that could happen one day, you know," Marinette laughs.

"If you and Adrien got along today, then I guess there's hope for us LadyNoir shippers," Alya grins. The bell suddenly rings, signaling five minutes before class starts, and everyone in the courtyard start heading to their classrooms. "Come on, let's head to class."

Marinette nods, following her best friend up the stairs. When she and Alya enter class, she sees Adrien looking down at his Jagged Stone album with a wide grin on his face. Marinette walks up the steps to get to her seat, and smiles as she looks down at the boy sitting in front of her.

She doesn't stop smiling the rest of the day.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I'M ALIVE.

I'm sorry for disappearing for almost a month now. I really dislike the _Guitar Villain_ episode, which can explain why it took so long for this chapter to come out (and why it seems so half-assed LOL). I also started school two weeks ago, and I already have a lot of homework, hardly leaving me any time to write. I'm so sad. ;-;

Anyways, thank you to everyone who added this story to their favorites and alerts, and a huge thank you to all those who reviewed! I love you guys! :)

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 13  
Chat Noir: 12**

 _Next Episode: Princess Fragrance_


	24. Princess Fragrance: Revenge Smells Sweet

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 24_

Princess Fragrance: Revenge Smells Sweet

"In today's news, Ladybug and Chat Noir have saved a number of people from a burning building that has mysteriously caught fire," Nadja Chamack says to the camera. "They managed to rescue everyone before the building crumbled, and luckily, no one was severely injured or killed."

Behind the reporter, Ladybug and Chat Noir can be seen counting the number of people they saved, and Chat Noir pumps his fists in the air after a quick exchange of words. By the look on Ladybug's face, her rival seems to have rescued more people than her.

Chat Noir notices the camera turn to him and Ladybug, and so flashes the camera a wide grin and a strikes a ridiculous pose. Ladybug giggles into her hand at his silliness, color draining from her face when she realizes that she has somewhere to get to.

She waves goodbye to the camera and swings away, leaving behind a confused Chat Noir. Suddenly, his eyes go wide, and he vaults himself out of the scene.

"We thank our heroes for their bravery," Nadja Chamack says. "We know we can always count on them to keep us safe."

* * *

Ladybug performs a flip in the air and disappears beyond a subway's tunnel, and a flash of pink follows right after. Marinette climbs up a separate exit, looking as innocent as can be. One would have never guessed she was Ladybug two seconds ago.

" _Ah-choo_!"

Blinking, Marinette lifts up her purse and opens it up, gasping when she sees her kwami shivering and all curled up inside. "Tikki!" Marinette cries worriedly. "What's wrong? Are you all right?" She reaches a hand into her purse and touches Tikki, who's hot to the touch.

"I-I need you to t-t-take me to the doctor," she shivers, rubbing her arms with her little hands to try to create some warmth.

"But where can I find a doctor for kwamis?" Marinette asks.

"I know a h-healer," Tikki says. "I'll tell you where to go."

"But wh-what will I tell him? You're a secret. He'll get all suspicious and ask me questions, and I wouldn't know how to answer any of them," Marinette bumbles. "And you know who's also going to ask an awful lot of questions? My teacher—about why I'm late _again_! Tikki, can I take you to the healer right after school?"

Tikki nods weakly.

"Thank you," Marinette says. "We'll go the second school's done."

When the time flashes on one of the televisions in the streets, Marinette sprints all the way to École Francoise-Dupont. She runs through the hallways of her school, and swings the door open of her classroom. Marinette stumbles inside the room, trips over Chloe's bag, and falls in front of the entire class. Everyone is unfazed by this event—they all know how clumsy Marinette is.

"Ah, Marinette," Mme Mendeleiev says nonchalantly. "What excuse do you have for us this time? Accidentally locked yourself in the bathroom again?"

Marinette's face falls. There goes her excuse.

"Uh, no, I had to, um, you see," Marinette gulps, racking her brain for an excuse. "I had to help my parents clean the bakery because someone dropped something _really_ smelly and liquidy this morning, and it was this _huge_ mess, and it chased customers away because it smelled just like—"

 _Spray, spray_.

Mme Mendeleiev sniffs the air and looks around the classroom, fierce eyes landing on Rose. "Thank you, Rose, but I don't think our classroom needs extra refreshing," the teacher says, walking towards the blonde.

"I thought someone packed a tuna fish sandwich, but it turns out it was Rose's perfume," Chloe unnecessarily comments, cackling at her own insult.

Rose sadly hands the teacher her pump-included pink glass perfume bottle. "Furthermore, using your smartphone during school hours is strictly forbidden," Mme Mendeleiev says, confiscating her cellphone as well. "Now, take the rest of your things and go to the principal's office."

Frowning, Rose gets up from her seat and heads out the door of the classroom. The teacher returns to the front of the room and says, "Now, watch what happens when you play about with flammable substances in a chemistry lab."

She sprays some perfume inside a round glass case with an open bottom and places it upright, trapping the perfume inside. She then proceeds to push a button and a small electric shock comes out of a tube, creating a small explosion inside the case. Everyone in the class gasps at the reaction.

"Just to make sure you all remember that, I'll be quizzing you tomorrow on lab safety. Again!" Mme Mendeleiev says. "Class dismissed."

* * *

After picking up their textbooks from their lockers, Marinette and Alya exit the school just in time to see Adrien running up to Nino, who asks, "Dude, where have you been?!"

Adrien places his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath. "Photoshoot… yesterday… later than usual…" he pants. "Three hours of sleep… just woke up…!"

"You two really are made for each other," Alya comments, ignoring the death glare Marinette gives her (well, she didn't deny it). "Neither one of you can make it to school on time. You know, since he missed chemistry class, it would be nice if someone could lend him their notes so he could get up to speed."

"He has Nino," Marinette says monotonously.

"You and I both know very well that Nino never listens in class," Alya says. "And yet he gets decent grades. That jerk."

" _Ah-choo_!"

Marinette freezes when Alya looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "Was that you?" she asks.

Before Marinette could answer, another loud sneeze interrupts them. They turn their heads to see Adrien blowing his nose into a tissue while Nino pats his back. "I-I'm pretty sure that was Adrien," Marinette says, hoping Alya believes her.

"Probably," Alya says, and she stays silent so that she and Marinette could listen in to what Adrien and Nino are talking about.

"Not only did you get no more than three hours of sleep, but your allergies also kicked in _again_ ," Nino says, shaking his head. "I don't know how you do it, man."

Adrien sneezes once more. "Neither do I," he says, his voice slightly hoarse. "This sucks, I can't smell _anything_. Do you have any more tissues?"

Nino shakes his head. "Sorry, man. I'm out," he says.

"Alright, well, if you're not going to lend him your notes, at least pass the poor guy some tissues. You always have extras in your bag," Alya tells Marinette after hearing the last part of Adrien and Nino's conversation. "Go give him some."

Marinette makes a face. "You think I want to waste tissues on him?" she scoffs. "I'll give them to you, and you can give them to him."

"Trust me—he'd feel much better if you were the one to give them to him," Alya says with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marinette asks, confused. She then takes a quick glance at her purse, frowning at the thought of her sick kwami. "I can't, I have to—"

"It takes two seconds to give someone tissues," Alya says. "Just do it, Marinette."

Rolling her eyes, Marinette makes her way down the steps, cracking her purse open a tiny bit to check up on her kwami. "I'm not feeling too good," Tikki shivers.

"Don't worry, Tikki. I promise it'll just take a sec— _wah_!" Marinette accidentally trips on someone's backpack on her way down the steps, and she closes her eyes as she waits for the pain of hitting the hard concrete to come. Instead, she feels two arms catch her, and when she opens up her eyes, she finds herself staring into emerald green.

"Marinette, are you all right?"

Adrien caught her.

It feels like a scene in a movie or a drama; the girl trips, the boy catches her, and their faces end up being only _inches_ away from each other.

Marinette feels her face warm up because being _this_ close to Adrien Agreste, she can see the light dusting of freckles over his nose, she can smell his minty-fresh breath, she can see his lips slowly curving into a smile, and she thinks _maybe_ this time around, they can have another rare, decent conversation—

—but then he drops her and sneezes into his arm.

And just like that, the moment is ruined.

"Nice," Marinette says flatly, standing up to dust herself off.

"You think I did that on purpose?" Adrien asks, sniffling. "I've got _allergies_. And I'm allergic to klutzes, so leave before you give me a rash." Adrien stops talking when Marinette shoves a pack of tissues in his face.

"You're welcome. Jerk," Marinette says, muttering that last word.

Adrien slowly takes the tissues out of her hands, and Marinette is expecting something of the likes of _there's chloroform on this, isn't there?_ or _what did you do to them?_ but she instead gets, "Thank you."

"Feel better," Marinette says before walking away. She then looks down at her open purse, and she lets out a shriek when she sees that there's nothing inside of it. "TIKKI?!" she screams. Marinette looks all over the place in search of a black and red kwami, but no luck.

Marinette then hears someone cackling, and looks up to see Chloe's limo pulling out of its parking spot. She's about to look away to keep searching, when she catches sight of a little black and red creature in Chloe's hands.

"CHLOE, WAIT!" Marinette screams as she chases after the white limo. Chloe pokes her head out the window. "THAT'S MY… MY…!"

"Not anymore!" Chloe screams. "Finders keepers!"

Marinette watches the vehicle go, worry churning inside of her.

"Tikki…"

* * *

Determined to get her kwami back, Marinette marches all the way to the Grand Hotel de Paris. She's about to walk through the doors, when she's stopped by the doorman. She blinks; she never got stopped when trying to enter the hotel before. But then she remembers that Prince Ali is staying at the hotel today, and everything starts to make sense.

"May I help you?" the bespectacled man asks, his face blank and void of emotion.

"Hi, uh, I'm in Chloe Bourgeois' class, and I really need to see her," Marinette says simply and straight to the point. "It's _really_ important—"

"Are you a friend of hers?" he interrupts.

"You're kidding, right—" Marinette's eyes widen at her slip-up. "Well, uh, we're kind of—we're just in the same class, that's all."

"If you're not a friend then I can't," the man says.

" _Kidding_. I was kidding," Marinette says. "We're f-friends. Really good friends."

"Aha!" the doorman exclaims as if he caught her stealing something precious. "Chloe doesn't have any friends! Besides Sabrina Raincomprix and her 'Adrikins', of course."

Marinette slumps her shoulders. "You're not letting me in, are you?"

"Nope."

Feeling defeated, Marinette turns around and starts walking away, but she stops when she spots a pile of trash with useful items that could help with her mission. She puts on the motorcycle helmet and pink cape, and picks up an empty pizza box.

She walks back up to the doorman and says, "Pizza delivery for Chloe Bourgeois."

"Pizza? It's usually sushi," the man says, but steps aside nonetheless. "Top floor, imperial suite."

Internally cheering, Marinette walks past the man and goes up the elevator in search for the blonde. Upon reaching the top floor, Marinette walks down the corridor, gasping when she sees Chloe enter the elevator on the opposite side of the hall.

"Chloe, wait!" Marinette cries, sprinting towards the elevator.

"Pizza? Ew, don't get that peasant food anywhere near me," Chloe says, pushing the _close door_ button repeatedly. Marinette curses under her breath when the door closes before she could get there, and heads straight up the stairs.

Marinette finds the room Chloe went into, and sneaks in to find Chloe, Mayor Bourgeois, Prince Ali and his chaperone being bombarded with questions from paparazzi.

"Nadja Chamack," the news reporter introduces herself. "Don't be bemused, it's just the news. Prince Ali, did you have anything to say about your official Parisian visit?"

"I'm very happy to be here," Prince Ali answers with a grin.

The elevator suddenly dings open, but no one except for Marinette notices the green-skinned intruder walk in.

"An akumatized victim?!" Marinette thinks to herself. She feels the need to intervene, but how could she without getting caught? Well, nothing bad has happened yet, so maybe it's all right to stay put for now…

The possibly akumatized victim sprays some perfume at Chloe, and Marinette sees everyone's face contort in disgust.

"Where is that smell coming from?!" Nadja exclaims, covering her nose with her hand. Prince Ali and Mayor Bourgeois copy this action, and turn to Chloe.

"What? That's not me!" Chloe defends, and then sniffs herself. "It—it is me!"

Marinette gasps when she sees the group of paparazzi get sprayed by pink perfume. "At your service Princess Fragrance," they sing, turning around to bow at the akumatized victim.

"Wh-who are you?" Prince Ali asks fearfully as she approaches him.

"Didn't you hear?" Princess Fragrance asks. "I'm Princess Fragrance, and I've come just for you! In just a spritz you'll be mine, Prince Ali!"

At this, Marniette jumps out of her hiding sport and rushes over to a keyboard synthesizer. She mashes a random button that makes confetti launch out of two tubes, distracting all those in the room. This allows Mayor Bourgeois, Chloe, Prince Ali and his chaperone to escape through the door. Princess Fragrance follows after them down the stairs, and so does Marinette.

Marinette quietly follows behind, and when she catches up to them, she sees Princess Fragrance spraying her perfume under the doorway.

"My prince, my prince, smell the fragrance of my eternal love!" Princess Fragrance sings, giving her perfume's pump another squeeze. Marinette immediately takes action—with or without the mask, she's _still_ Ladybug.

Marinette looks around the area and sees a janitor's closet at the end of the hallway. She runs over to it, opens the door, and grins when her eyes land on the vacuum sitting in the corner. She plugs it into the nearest socket and turns it on, grinning in victory when she sees the pink perfume getting sucked in by the vacuum.

Princess Fragrance turns to her and glares furiously. "Seriously, who are you?!" she screams, and jumps in mid-air, using her perfume bottle to rocket-launch herself over Marinette. She unplugs the vacuum cord by stepping on it with her heels, and then points her perfume gun at Marinette. "Looks like you're powerless now, superhero."

Marinette backs up slowly, and ends up tripping over the vacuum cleaner, making her fall to the floor. Before she could react, Mayor Bourgeois' voice echoes throughout the hall: "There are two of them now! _Run_!" The mayor opens the door, letting his daughter, Prince Ali and his chaperone go first.

Princess Fragrance doesn't chase after them, however—instead, she sprays her perfume and spins around, creating pink fog. "You can run, but you can't hide from my perfume!" she sings.

Seeing the fog slowly inching closer to her, Marinette looks around for an escape, stopping when she sees the service elevator. She pulls herself down, and luckily manages to dodge the perfume. When the elevator stops, Marinette opens the door and slides out to find herself in the hotel's kitchen.

She runs over to the door and peeks through the little window to see Chloe, an employee holding a broom, Prince Ali and his chaperone on the other side.

"He's under the spell! Shut the door!" Chloe orders the employee.

"But he's your father!" Prince Ali's chaperone gasps.

"Not while he's under this spell!" Chloe retorts, and then averts her attention to the employee. "Shut it now!" The man obliges, pushing Mayor Bourgeois out of the way with the broom and closing the door behind him afterwards.

Before anyone can let out a sigh of relief, pink fog seeps through the cracks of the elevator door, and Princess Fragrance walks out of the elevator box when it dings open. The employee has unfortunately been cast under the spell, but the rest were lucky to have moved out of the way just in time.

"Come with me to the Pont des Arts, my sweet prince!" Princess Fragrance exclaims as she approaches him. Marinette is just about to intervene once again, when she catches sight of a familiar black-clad hero sitting on the windowsill.

" _Ah-choo_!" Everyone present in the room turns around to see Chat Noir sniffling. He grins sheepishly, "Allergies." He pulls out his staff and performs an impressive flip in the air, landing in front of Princess Fragrance.

"No one will take my prince away!" the villain screams, firing perfume at the hero. Chat Noir deflects each attack with a hit of his staff, and then extends it to push Princess Fragrance into the kitchen. While they have some time before the villain comes back, Chat Noir holds his staff out the window and extends it, creating a pole from the third floor to the ground.

"Emergency evacuation, everybody down!" Chat Noir screams in alert.

"It's much too dangerous for the prince!" Prince Ali's chaperone exclaims.

Chat Noir notices three stainless steel mixing bowls on the cart nearby, and picks one up. "Right," he grins, approaching Prince Ali. "Ah, Prince Ali, fabulous he. You must be on Team Chat Noir, am I right?" Chat Noir places a mixing bowl on top of the prince's head, whose face lights up upon realization that he's going to have a taste of _adventure_ for the first time in his life.

Chat Noir holds the pole firmly while everyone slides down, but before he could, Princess Fragrance bursts through the kitchen doors and pitches a square-shaped plate at him. Chat Noir dodges the attack, but the plate flies out the window, smashing into pieces right next to Prince Ali. His chaperone is the one who lets out a shriek of fear instead of the prince himself.

"How _dare_ you take my prince away from me?!" Princess Fragrance thunders, firing at the superhero.

Chat Noir shrinks his staff to fight her off, waving at those he brought to safety to leave without him. He tries to fight off the villain, but when Princess Fragrance hears the familiar sound of a car speeding away, she snatches Chat Noir's staff out of his hands and performs the exact same attack he did to her. Chat Noir lets out a grunt of pain when he's thrown into the kitchen.

"My prince!" he hears the akumatized victim cry. Through the little window on the door, he could see her rocket-launching herself out the window with her perfume gun.

Chat Noir curses under his breath. "She got away," he says through gritted teeth.

"Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir blinks at the sound of the voice and turns around to see Marinette taking a motorcycle helmet off. "Princess?" he asks, bewildered. Marinette outstretches a hand for him to take. "What are you doing here?"

"Chloe stole my kwa—" Marinette freezes. "I-I mean, Chloe stole a… a stuffed toy! A _really_ meaningful stuffed toy of mine and gave to Prince Ali, so I've been trying to get it back all afternoon."

Chat Noir scowls at her claim. He's going to have to talk to Chloe about this later on.

"I see," he says, taking Marinette's hand and helping himself up. "Hm, Ladybug should be here by now, shouldn't she?"

Marinette blanches. "Ladybug's not coming!" she blabbers. "I, uh, bumped into her on my way to school this morning, and I overheard her saying into yoyo that she has an important appointment to get to?" She laughs nervously.

"Oh," Chat Noir says. "Well, you need your stuffed toy, and I need my tally mark. Are you down to be my partner once again?"

"You know it," Marinette grins. But her face turns into one of worry when she continues, "But do you think we can go look for their car first? I _really_ need that toy."

Chat Noir crouches down and Marinette smiles as she hops onto his back. "Anything for you, Princess," he says, standing up and exiting out the window.

Chat Noir pole-vaults them around the city, and they both gasp when they see Prince Ali's car broken down in the middle of an intersection.

"Tikki!" Marinette gasps internally. When Chat Noir puts her down, she sprints over to the car and frantically searches all over the place, gasping when she sees her kwami on the floor of the vehicle. She cups the little ladybug into her hands and cries, "Tikki!"

The kwami opens her heavy eyelids. "M-Marinette?" she calls out weakly.

"Tikki, I'm so sorry," Marinette apologizes quietly so that Chat Noir won't hear her. "I need to take you to a healer right away—" Her eyes widen. "Oh no, Chat Noir's here, I can't just leave him—not when—"

"I'll be fine," her kwami says. "Saving the day is more important."

"But—"

"If you can save the innocent much earlier," Tikki smiles. "I'll be all right knowing that. You're Ladybug, Marinette—with or without the mask."

Marinette nods. "I'll take you to the healer right after. I promise," she says, putting Tikki in her purse.

Chat Noir rushes to her side. "Did you find it?" he asks, and Marinette nods. "That's good to hear. Now, I recall Princess Fragrance saying that she's planning on taking Aladdin to the Pont des Arts…"

* * *

Chat Noir and Marinette make it to the bridge to see Princess Fragrance holding onto a padlock that appears to have been sprayed by her.

"This will lock our love forever, my prince!" she sings, presenting it to Prince Ali.

"At your service, Princess Fragrance!" Prince Ali sings, hypnotized by her perfume.

Before the akumatized victim can do anything else, Chat Noir lands on top of the rails and extends his staff, knocking the padlock out of Princess Fragrance's hands. The lock falls into the Seine, making her gasp.

"My padlock!" she exclaims, running to the rails and growling when she sees the waters rippling around the place the lock fell into.

"Not so fast, royal pain in the neck," Chat Noir grins, jumping off the rails and landing on the bridge. He sets Marinette down before shrinking his staff and making a fighting pose. He smirks, "Just try to spray us."

Princess Fragrance shoots perfume at the couple, but Chat Noir deflects each attack by extending and twirling his staff in front of him and Marinette. "Come on, you can do better than that," Chat Noir smirks.

" _Ugh_ , servants! Attack!" Princess Fragrance commands, pointing at Chat Noir and Marinette. "And get his ring!"

At once, Chloe, Mayor Bourgeois and Prince Ali's chaperone all charge at Chat Noir and Marinette. Princess Fragrance cackles as she rocket-launches her and Prince Ali off the bridge with her perfume bottle. Chloe lets out a battle cry as she sprints towards them, but Marinette moves out of the way at the last second and trips the blonde, making her slam into the lamppost.

"Yeah, I hope that hurt," Marinette mutters under her breath, and Chat Noir laughs when he hears her.

The mayor and the chaperone start running towards them, and Chat Noir hops onto the rails, extends his staff and swings it at their feet. The spell-casted victims both fall to the ground, and are so easily defeated.

"Pound it," Chat Noir grins, holding his fist out. Marinette grins and pounds his fist with hers.

The moment is short-lived, however, when they look up to see a huge cloud of pink perfume forming in the clear blue sky.

"Seriously?!" Chat Noir cries. "How are we supposed to put _that_ out?!"

Marinette has a sudden flashback of that morning's Chemistry class, Mme Mendeleiev's voice echoing in her head: "Now, watch what happens when you play about with flammable substances in a chemistry lab." She turns around, her face lighting up to see a boat filled with fireworks heading their way.

"Chat Noir, I've got an idea!" Marinette exclaims, pointing at the boat. "Drop us off on that boat!"

Chat Noir tilts his head to the side. "I don't know where you're getting at," he says, picking her up bridal style. "But I trust you, so here goes!" When the boat gets close enough, Chat Noir jumps off the bridge's rails and lands safely onto the boat. "So, what's the plan?"

Marinette runs over to the control panel sitting at the very end, and pats it with her hand. "A little something I learned in Chemistry class today," she says. "Touch this with your Cataclysm, and you'll see."

Nodding, Chat Noir throws his arm up in the air, screaming, "CATACLYSM!" When the familiar dark glow emanates from his hand, Chat Noir runs over to the panel and slams his hand on it. Fireworks are launches into the sky and explode all at once, making the pink cloud disappear almost instantly.

"Good job, Princess!" Chat Noir grins, high-fiving her. "Man, what I'd give to battle alongside you every day."

"You have no idea," Marinette mutters under her breath with a nervous chuckle. Luckily, Chat Noir kept all his attention on the fireworks, and so didn't hear her.

"The perfume came from the roof of the Grand Hotel de Paris," Chat Noir says, picking Marinette up piggyback-style. "Let's end this before my transformation wears out!"

Chat Noir hops from one rooftop to rooftop all the way to the hotel. He sees Princess Fragrance grab Prince Ali's hands, exclaiming, "This city is not for us. Too many people want to bother us. Let's go far away from here, my prince! Very far!"

"Aw, leaving so soon?" Chat Noir asks with mockery in his voice. "But we just got here!"

"You two! You're ruining _everything_!" Princess Fragrance screams, pointing her perfume gun at them. "So now, I'm going to ruin you both!"

Chat Noir leaps out of the way before the pink air could hit him and Marinette, landing on the rooftop floor. He sets Marinette down and steps in front of her, readying his staff for any incoming attacks. "Leave Marinette out of this," he growls.

"Seeing you get so protective of her only makes me want to attack her even more," Princess Fragrance says, firing several shots at him. Chat Noir blocks them with a hit of his staff, but he knows he can't keep doing that forever—not with his ring giving off warning beeps.

Having had enough, Chat Noir runs towards her while twirling his staff to deflect her perfume spritzes. They suddenly find themselves caught in a hand-to-hand battle, and Marinette tries to get her way around them to grab Princess Fragrance akumatized item (her perfume bottle) out of her hands while she's distracted.

She's just inches away from grabbing it, when Prince Ali sings, "Behind you, Princess Fragrance!"

The villain turns around to find Marinette right there, whose eyes widen the size of saucers. She breaks out into a run, and Princess Fragrance fires perfume at her.

Clumsy as she is, Marinette trips over her own two feet, and throws her hands over herself when she sees the pink puff of air coming right at her. But it never reaches her.

There, standing in front of her with his arms stretched out, is Chat Noir.

He jumped in front of her to take the blow—again. It's a repeat of the Timebreaker episode, the Dark Cupid episode, the Puppeteer episode. Chat Noir always puts himself on the line of danger just for her sake.

"Chat Noir…" Marinette cries, curling her fists. "Why… always…?"

Chat Noir walks up to the akumatized victim, and bows upon reaching her. "At your service, Princess Fragrance!" he sings.

"I win," Princess Fragrance says, laughing evilly. Her moment of victory doesn't last very long, however, when Chat Noir kicks her perfume bottle out of her hand. " _What_?!"

Chat Noir makes a flip in the air, and catches the bottle before it could break. "Surprise!" he exclaims, and his smile goes wider when Marinette's face lights up at the sight of him.

"How is this possible?!" Princess Fragrance screams.

Chat Noir sniffles. "Allergies," he winks, and then proceeds to throw the perfume bottle on the floor, shattering it into pieces. When a black butterfly flutters out of the item, Chat Noir catches it with the glowing end of his weapon. The butterfly is tainted white, and the hero watches it fly away.

"MIRACULOUS CHAT!" Chat Noir exclaims, hitting the end of his staff against the floor. Magic dust swirls all over the city, restoring everything to its former state. A black and violet cloud envelops Princess Fragrance, and when it disappears, Rose is in her place.

"Rose?" Marinette asks, approaching her confused classmate. Chat Noir walks over to Rose as well, and crouches down to her level. "Are you all right?"

"What happened?" she asks, and then gasps. "Was I… akumatized?"

Chat Noir nods. "You were. But don't worry, Marinette and I took care of it," he grins, patting her shoulder.

"How did I get here?"

Rose's eyes widen at the sound of the voice, and when she turns and sees Prince Ali, she lets out an excited scream. "Do you mind if I…?" she asks Chat Noir and Marinette.

"No one's stopping you," Marinette smiles.

"Thank you for saving me!" Rose exclaims to her heroes before running up to Prince Ali. Chat Noir and Marinette watch the scene unfold from afar. "It's you—Prince Ali!"

"Uh, yes, and you are?" he asks politely with a smile.

"Your biggest fan!" Rose exclaims happily. "Knowing how you always help sick children around the world, I just want you to know that you're the most kind-hearted person I ever met!"

"R-really?" Prince Ali asks, eyes sparkling. "Thank you so much, no one's ever—"

"Prince Ali!" Chloe appears out of seemingly nowhere, shoving Marinette out of the way while she's running past.

This action causes Marinette to fall over, and she closes her eyes as she waits for the pain of hitting the hard floor to come. Instead, she feels two arms catch her, and when she opens up her eyes, she finds herself staring into emerald green.

"Marinette, are you all right?"

Chat Noir caught her.

But at his words, Marinette freezes.

"What… did you say?" she whispers.

"Are you all right?" Chat Noir repeats, helping her to her feet. Familiarity flashes in her eyes, but Marinette is interrupted by Chloe screaming in disbelief.

" _What_?!" the blonde screeches.

"I have a special event at the hospital for children with Miss Rose," Princes Ali says, grabbing an ecstatic Rose's hand. "Let us go quickly before my chaperone locates me."

He pulls her away, and Rose giggles when she passes Chloe. "Bye, Chloe!" she exclaims. When she passes by Chat Noir and Marinette, she exclaims, "And thank you again, Chat Noir! See you in class, Marinette!"

"Bye, Rose!" Marinette says, waving goodbye. Chloe lets out a cry of anger before stomping back inside the hotel.

"Well, looks like we did it again, Princess," Chat Noir says. "We make a good team."

Marinette nods. "We do," she says, and then points at his ring. "You might want to go before your transformation wears off."

Chat Noir looks down at his ring to find one paw pad left. "Good call," he grins, ruffling her hair. "I'll see you soon, Marinette. Be careful."

"Goodbye, Chat," Marinette says, smiling as she watches him go. She suddenly gasps, "TIKKI!" Marinette opens up her purse to see her kwami all curled up inside. "Tikki, I'm so sorry! I have to get you to a healer right away!"

"It's okay, Marinette," Tikki coughs, a small smile present on her lips. "You saved the day. That's what matters most."

"I should've brought you there right away! I was being selfish," Marinette cries, tearing up. She shuts her purse and rushes out of the hotel and into the busy streets of Paris, refusing to slow down. She has to get to the healer as soon as possible.

Marinette looks down at her purse. "Please be okay, Tikki."

* * *

Tikki leads Marinette to a Massage Shop hidden behind two larger shops. She looks down at her kwami worriedly as the strange old man repeatedly hits a gong.

"Is she going to be okay?" Marinette asks nervously.

"One who is burning with their patient can never eat hot porridge," the elder answers.

"…Okay," she says, casting another worried glance at Tikki.

"Silence please," he continues, placing his two hands in front of the unconscious kwami. "Reading energies. "What type of cat did you say?"

"Cat? Um, right! She's a, uh, hairless… flying species from the Kingdom of… Achu?" Marinette lies, laughing nervously. "She's a rare kind."

"Unusual," the old man says. He picks up his gong and hits it one last time, continuing, "We are finished. Your cat's health has been restored."

Marinette looks down at Tikki worriedly, but her face lights up when her kwami's eyes flutter open. Tikki lets out a giggle and flies into her relieved holder's hands. Marinette turns to the healer and exclaims, "Thank you so much, sir! Thank you!"

Marinette gets up and heads to the door. Before leaving, she asks, "One last thing… how did you do that?"

"Ancient Chinese Secret," he answers.

She blinks. "Oh, I see," she answers. "Thank you again!"

Marinette shuts the door behind her gently and exits the shop, still holding her kwami in her hands. "Tikki, I'm so sorry. You were so sick and… Well, I don't know what I would do without you."

"You wouldn't be Ladybug for one!" Tikki giggles.

"I know, but I mean," Marinette begins. "Tikki, you're more than just my kwami to me."

"I know," Tikki grins, hugging her holder's cheek. "And you're more than just my holder to me."

* * *

Later that night, Marinette is lying in bed, petting her sleepy kwami's little head. She thinks back to the day's episode, thoughts swirling inside her head as she recalls a major event.

" _Marinette, are you all right?"_

There's just _something_ about the way Chat Noir said it that sounded so familiar. But she can't quite put her finger on it.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** Surprise! Not only did you guys not have to wait long for this update, but it also came with MariChat! I was initially planning on having Ladybug get brainwashed by Princess Fragrance, but I _hate_ that subplot, so I scrapped it. I thought I'd give you guys one last MariChat before the end, since _Jackady_ is going to have Ladrien, and _Volpina_ and the finale/epilogue are going to have LadyNoir and Adrinette. :) As for the previous chapter, I added a thousand more words to it and extended an Adrienette conversation, so if any of you haven't noticed the change yet, feel free to check it out!

 **FAQ:**

"Kaorei, what are you going to do for the finale? Will there be a reveal?" You'll see. Guys, it's no fun if I just told you all how this story will end. There'd be no surprise. I can give you a little treat though: I'll be writing _two_ versions of _Volpina_. Why? You'll see.

"Kaorei, are you going to be writing Season 02 as well?" My current answer is no, but if I do ever change my mind, I hope you're all still going to be here to read it! Of course, I'll have to wait until the season's over to start writing it, which may take a long time, but we'll see how things go. If I do write for Season 02 though, the title will be similar to _Who Needs Love?_ It'll probably be something along the lines of _Who Needs You?_ Season 03 (apparently this might be the last season?) would probably follow the tradition by answering the titles' questions: _I Do_ or _We Do_. Cheesy, right? LOL oh well. Anyways, it all depends on whether I decide to continue or not.

Any last questions before we reach the end? :)

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and of course the kind reviews! Shout-out to the sweet **SophiaCrutchfeild** for being the 500th reviewer! THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING ME REACH THIS MANY REVIEWS! You guys are the best!

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 13  
Chat Noir: 13**

 _Next Episode: Jackady_


	25. Simon Says: You Have Her Smile

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 25_

Simon Says: You Have Her Smile

" _Grounded_? For what?!"

Marinette is in the living room with her parents, who are both scolding her after receiving a letter from her high school. The television is blaring in the background, making Marinette feel even worse, knowing that she should be at the TV Studio cheering on for Nino.

"Why don't we jog your memory, Marinette?" Tom asks, unfolding the letter. "Monday morning, absent from P.E."

"I was in… study hall," Marinette lies, laughing nervously. She casts a glance over to the TV, biting her lip when she sees Nino's smiling face pop up on-screen.

"Friday afternoon, absent from study hall," Tom continues.

"I was in P.E.!" Marinette blurts out.

"You're never where you're supposed to be, Marinette!" Tom scolds, putting the letter away. "The only way we can keep track of you is by keeping you here, grounded."

"But I was invited!" Marinette cries. "Nino's my friend, he was counting on me!" She turns around and frowns when she sees Nino preparing himself to DJ.

"I know Nino's your friend," Tom sighs. "But you should've thought about that before you started skipping class. Until your unexcused absences come to an end, that's the way it's going to be."

With her head hung low, Marinette walks all the way back up to her room, quietly shutting the door behind her. Tikki flies out of her holder's purse and sits on her right shoulder.

"Can you blame them? How are they supposed to know that you're missing class to save the world?" Tikki asks, patting Marinette's cheek with her little hand.

"I guess being a superhero comes with the consequence of being grounded. That doesn't seem fair though," Marinette sighs as she makes it to her computer desk. She turns it on to watch Nino DJ live from the studio.

"It's not fair at all," Tikki agrees, jumping off Marinette's shoulder and landing on the desk to watch the television show. "But you're only grounded for the weekend, right? If he wins, you can go see him at the show next week."

"I guess…" Marinette sighs, picking up her cellphone and dialing a number she's dialed too many times before. The person she's calling picks up after three rings.

"Hello?" says the voice on the other line.

"Hey, Alya," Marinette says into the phone.

"Marinette?" Alya asks, confusion in her voice. "Why are you calling? Aren't you watching Nino DJ right now? You should be enjoying the show!"

"Yeah, about that—" Marinette begins.

"Don't tell me you got into another fight with Adrien," Alya sighs. "What did he do this time—or what did _you_ do this time?"

Marinette scowls. "First of all, I don't always start the fights," she says. "Second of all, I'm at home."

"What? Why?" Alya asks. "Hold up, let me switch to video-chat." There's silence before a live video of Alya at home appears on Marinette's phone screen. "Wow, you really are at home. What happened?"

"I'm grounded," Marinette groans. "My parents got a letter from the school saying that I've been absent too many times in class. They're getting the idea that I'm skipping."

"Marinette, I love you and all, but I have to side on your parents for this one," Alya says.

"Seriously? How can you say that?" Marinette cries, jaw dropped.

"Sorry, but I kind of get them," Alya says. "You're never where you say you'll be. Showing up late, sneaking off and all. It's like you're living a double life or something. You know, like superheroes."

Marinette's face blanches. "C-come on, you're exaggerating!" she laughs nervously.

* * *

"Victory! Challenge conquered by Nino. You moved your head to the beat, Mayor Bourgeois! That counts as dancing!" Alec, the host of the show, exclaims.

"What?! That's not true! My neck was… itching, that's all," the mayor, who's present on the widescreen in the studio, denies.

"I believe moving an inch to the beat counts as dancing!" Alec exclaims, walking over to the DJ. "Nino, congratulations. You'll return in one week to meet your next challenge! And now, for our next contestant, welcome Simon Grimault!"

Nino walks off-stage and walks up to Adrien, fist-bumping him in victory. "Awesome job, man!" Adrien exclaims.

"Thanks," Nino says, scratching the back of his head while grinning widely. His grin fades, however, and he looks around the area with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, where's Marinette?"

"Marinette?" Adrien asks. "She was supposed to come today?"

Nino freezes. "Uh, w-with Alya!" he blabbers. "I invited them too. Guess they couldn't make it." Adrien notices his best friend's nervousness, but decides not to push it. He shrugs it off and turns to watch the next contestant.

"So, Mr. Grimault, I heard you're a hypnotist," Alec says. "You use cards to hypnotize people to get what you want from them, am I right?"

"Y-yes, that's right," Simon says shyly, nervously shuffling his deck of playing cards.

"So, your challenge today, Simon, is to use your talent to bring a very elusive celebrity to this very TV set! Give it up for the king of fashion design, Gabriel Agreste!" Alec announces.

Gabriel Agreste appears on the widescreen, and his face shows annoyance and anger. "What is this show? I was told this was an interview." Adrien covers his face—he already _knows_ this isn't going to end well.

"Do your thing, Grimault! Let's see if you can bring Mr. Agreste here with your hypnotic persuasion!" Alec exclaims.

"I-I didn't mean it that way when I—" Simon begins.

Alec laughs. "A shy hypnotist! How funny is that, Gabriel?"

Gabriel Agreste's face remains stone cold. "Hilarious," he says icily. "Your show is pathetic. And so is your contestant. Control _me_? Never." With that, he ends the video call, leaving a disappointed crowd and a horrified hypnotist.

"That's my dad, all right," Adrien sighs.

"Looks like Mr. Agreste has turned on your challenge. Game over!" Alec tells the contestant.

"What?!" Simon cries. "But I didn't even get to—!" Before he could say anything else, he's ushered off stage and out the studio's doors.

"Ah man, that's rough," Nino says when the doors shut behind the poor hypnotist. "I feel bad for the guy."

"They could've given him another chance," Adrien says. Just as he's about to turn around to continue watching the show, the door swings open at full force, and a man clad in flashy purple and green stands at the doorway.

"Simon Says that the game isn't over!" the akumatized victim exclaims with a wicked grin.

"What on earth?!" Alec cries.

Simon Says picks a card from his deck. "Silence! Simon Says you're lame! As lame as a _duck_!" The villain throws the card at Alec, and when it hits him, he begins behaving like a duck.

Seeing that Adrien may be in possible danger, Adrien's driver decides to take action and starts running towards the threat. "Simon Says stop!" The akumatized victim throws a card at him, making him stop in his tracks. "Simon Says you're a gorilla!"

Adrien's driver turns around and pounds his chest just like a gorilla would. He charges at Adrien and Nino, who manage to dodge his attacks at the very last second. Nino hides behind a pile of equipment, and Adrien manages to slip out the door to transform.

"Plagg, we've got trouble," Adrien says, and Plagg flies out of his pocket, stretching his little arms.

"Has your dad always been a downer?" Plagg asks.

"He only started being this way when…" Adrien pauses, and shakes his head. "Nevermind that, let's just go save the day. PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

When Adrien transforms into Chat Noir, he sneaks back into the studio room and pole-vaults himself to the studio lighting ceiling.

"Gabriel Agreste turned on my challenge, and now he will pay for it! By midnight tonight, he will entertain us in this very TV studio. Gabriel, I'm coming to get you!" Simon Says cackles into the camera while standing on Gorilla's back.

"Dad!" Adrien gasps. He spots Nino crouching behind a box full of equipment, and brings a finger to his mouth to tell him to stay quiet. Chat Noir performs a flip in the air, and knocks Simon Says off Gorilla with one kick. "Chat Noir says shut up and give me those cards."

Smirking, Simon Says throws his cards, making Chat Noir leap at them almost immediately. While the superhero attempts to pick up every card, Simon Says screams, "My gorilla will take care of you. Simon Says knock him out!"

Gorilla gets hit with a card, and proceeds to charge at Chat Noir, who kicks the door open to avoid his hypnotized driver's attack.

"I may not always land on my feet, but I always bounce back," Chat Noir says, delivering a kick to Gorilla's stomach. His driver retaliates by letting out a howl and holding up a fist, and Chat Noir leaps out of the way before he could get hit. Gorilla ends up punching the wall, making a huge hole, and making Chat Noir gulp in fear. "Now I know why my dad hired you as my bodyguard."

Chat Noir extends his staff and jumps in the air, ready to hit Gorilla with it, but the hypnotized bodyguard manages to grab it. He pulls the weapon out of the hero's grasp and throws it aside, making Chat Noir twitch.

The hero strikes a fighting stance and says, "My sensei told me that—" Gorilla proceeds to grab Chat Noir, nearly crushing him under his grip. "—alright, I guess size _does_ matter. Maybe I should've continued karate."

The elevator suddenly sings open, and a woman exits it, gasping in fear at the sight before her. Chat Noir's face breaks out into a smirk. "Oh hey, Ladybug," he says.

When Gorilla turns to the elevator, Chat Noir breaks free from his grasp, making him hit the wall behind him. Gorilla charges at him again, but the superhero successfully grabs onto one of his arms and flips him into the elevator.

"That's it! CATACLYSM!" Chat Noir screams, activating his ring's ability. He slams his hand on the elevator's button, making it malfunction, causing it to drop ten stories. Chat Noir picks up his staff, and his cat ear twitches when he hears footsteps. He extends his staff and spins it around, ready to hit the intruder. He drops his weapon when he realizes it's just Ladybug and Nino.

"Nice seeing you too, Chat Noir," Ladybug grins.

"Wish I could say the same," Chat Noir smirks, making her roll her eyes. "I thought you were Simon Says. Good thing I stopped before I hit you."

"I saw him! He's got a whole army together!" Nino cries.

"He's looking for Gabriel Agreste," Chat Noir says, worried for his father. "We better get to him faster than they can!" He groans when he hears the familiar beeping of his ring. "Great, not now…"

"Chat, you're about to change back," Ladybug says, pointing at his Miraculous. "Go charge up while I take one last look around for Adrien."

Chat Noir blanches. "Uh, n-no need! He probably got hypnotized," he says.

"But he's my friend!" Ladybug and Nino exclaim at the same time. Ladybug's cheeks turn bright red at her cry, and she turns even redder when Nino and Chat Noir look over at her.

"You know Adrien?" Nino asks.

"W-we've partnered up together before," Ladybug laughs nervously. "One mission's enough to call someone a friend, right?"

"A-anyways, I guess you're right. It's probably not a good idea to leave him behind without checking. Maybe he's hiding," Chat Noir says, shrinking his staff. "I'll leave you to look for him. Let's meet up at Gabriel Agreste's place later on."

Chat Noir runs out the exit, and transforms back into Adrien. "Uh, kid," Plagg coughs. "Bad news. I _probably_ should've told you earlier, but I forgot."

"What's wrong?" Adrien asks.

"…I'm out of Camembert," Plagg says with a nervous laugh.

" _What_?!" Adrien screams. He covers his mouth and stays quiet for five seconds to make sure he hasn't alerted anyone before continuing, "How are you going to recharge?!"

"I thought I had a slice left, but," he scratches the back of his head. "I must've eaten it without realizing?"

"How do you eat something by accident?" Adrien groans. "Great, now I have to make up some kind of excuse as to why Chat Noir isn't here. And this is giving Ladybug a free point!"

"Sorry," Plagg says before flying into his holder's pocket.

"You should be," Adrien sighs. He goes through a door and finds himself running over a glass bridge, eyes lighting up when he sees Ladybug and Nino running towards him. "Nino!"

"Adrien!" Nino exclaims, sprinting to his friend and giving him a hug. "Dude, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Adrien assures. "I thought you left!"

"I wasn't going to leave without you, man," Nino says, slapping a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "You're my bro."

Adrien gives his best friend one last grin before turning to Ladybug. "Ladybug!" he says, walking up to her. "It's nice seeing you again."

"Nice seeing you again, Adrien," Ladybug says. When she smiles up at him, Adrien feels his stomach drop, and he turns away immediately. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm good, thanks for asking," Adrien says as he continues to avoid eye contact. "Anyways, we've got to get to my house now! My father's in danger!"

Ladybug nods. "We better hurry, Chat Noir's meeting us there," she says.

Adrien casts a quick glare at his pocket before saying, "I don't think that's happening."

"What? What are you talking about?" Ladybug blinks.

"If you're talking about the same Chat Noir who got hypnotized saving me, I think his visit's delayed," Adrien says. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, it's not your fault," Ladybug says. "That sounds just like him. He always puts other people's safety before his. Brave, isn't he?" Adrien turns pink at her compliments. "He charged up really fast. I wish I could do that…"

Adrien laughs nervously. "We should get going now, I have to warn my father!"

"Right," Ladybug nods.

"Knowing him, it's going to take some time to convince him to stay safe," Nino says.

"I hate to say you're right," Adrien sighs.

* * *

"Nathalie, where's my father? He's in danger!" Adrien exclaims the second he swings his mansion's doors open.

"He knows already," his father's assistant replies, stone-faced.

"Good evening, Ladybug," Gabriel Agreste says, standing at the top of the stairs. He completely disregards his own son and his friend. "What brings you here today?"

"Father, you have to get out of here!" Adrien cries. "That hypnotist Simon Says is coming after you!"

"What? And be dictated by a madman? Certainly not," Mr. Agreste scoffs.

"But father, he's dangerous! Who knows what he'll do?" Adrien warns him. "You have to get to safety!"

"Head up to your room now. You've had enough excitement for today. Nathalie, make sure they sleep there," Gabriel orders, and Adrien and Nino are escorted to the former's room. Mr. Agreste goes down the stairs and walks over to Ladybug. "I have to apologize for my son, Ladybug. He's like his mother. Way too overly dramatic."

"But he's right, you know," Ladybug says. "Simon Says is a real threat. You're in a lot of danger!"

"What could possibly happen with you here to protect me?" Mr. Agreste says, and the way he says it is enough to send chills down Ladybug's spine.

* * *

"You sure your old man isn't some robot or something?" Nino asks, following behind Adrien.

"When my father's concerned I'm never sure of anything," Adrien sighs, opening the door to his room. Nino's eyes widen at the size of it and at all the things found inside.

" _Dude_ , no _way_ this is your room," Nino says in absolute awe. "I've seen _stadiums_ smaller than your room! Is that a rock-climbing wall? A pool table? Arcade games? You, my friend, are living the _life_."

"Yeah? I'd give it all up to have a dad who actually cared about me," Adrien says, slumping on his couch.

Nino sits next to his best friend and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that, man. I'm sure your dad cares a lot about you," he says. "He's just not good at showing it."

Adrien looks up at his friend and gives him a small smile. The sound of people screaming suddenly catches both boys' attention, and they both run to the window to see what's going on. Simon Says is at the entrance of the mansion, along with a crowd of people trying to break down the iron gate.

"I've got to warn my father!" Adrien screams, running out the door, followed by Nino. Adrien runs all around his house, kicking down every door to try to find his father and Ladybug. He finds them in his father's office, and they both turn around at the sudden entrance.

"He's coming, and he's got company!" Adrien says, panting heavily from all the running he's done. "Hold off all exits! They're coming from every direction! Engage the defense system, we need total lockdown!"

"Adrien, what are you—" Gabriel begins.

"Father, for once in your life, _please_ just listen to me!" Adrien screams.

Gabriel obliges, activating the mansion's total lockdown defense system. Metal walls slide down the doors and windows, and Adrien sighs in relief.

" _Lockdown engaged_ ," says a robotic voice.

"They won't get in," Mr. Agreste says. "This house is built like a fortress." He then turns to Nathalie and says, "Escort Adrien to his room. We can't risk getting him in danger."

"Father, I'm fine right here with all of you!" Adrien fights. "You can't—"

"It's far too dangerous," Gabriel interrupts. "I need you to stay there so I know you're safe. I'll be sending your friend home once all the hypnotized people are gone."

"But—"

"Do as I say."

Adrien stomps out of the room, and Ladybug could only watch him go with a sad expression on his face. "Adrien…" she whispers.

Not too long after he leaves, Simon Says' victims manage to break down the iron gate.

" _Emergency power on_ ," says the same robotic voice from earlier.

"There are too many of them. Your defense system is failing!" Ladybug cries.

"This is impossible," Gabriel says, tampering with the system's buttons. "This has never failed me before—"

"I have to go get Adrien!" Marinette cries. "Sending him to his room _alone_ was a bad idea, whether the system was going to fail or not!"

Gabriel Agreste's facial expression hardens, and he presses a button on his system's pad. The wall next to Ladybug slides open, and he instructs her, "Pick the controls in case you need to unlock an exit."

"Thank you," Ladybug says. "All three of you, go find someplace to hide! It's not safe in here!"

"No one tells me what to do. Not even a superhero," Mr. Agreste says.

Ladybug's left eye twitches. "Look, you're in danger just like everyone else. Stop pretending you're above us all and do what I tell you to!" After realizing what she just said, Ladybug's eyes widen at the sight of Gabriel's shocked face.

The man's face suddenly breaks out into a small smile. "Quite a temper," he says. "You remind me of someone…"

"Just get to safety," she says before rushing out of the room. Ladybug internally screams, "I can't believe I just yelled at my favorite fashion designer."

After looking into every room, Ladybug finally opens the right door to find Adrien looking out the window. His sad face can be seen reflected on it, and seeing him this way makes Ladybug's heart drop.

"Adrien," Ladybug says, making the blond turn around. "We have to get you to safety."

"Of course he listens to you," Adrien chuckles, yet there's bitterness behind it.

Ladybug starts walking towards him, stopping when the picture on his computer screen catches her eye. A beautiful woman with sunshine blonde hair, emerald green eyes and a charming smile is the background on his desktop.

Ladybug doesn't hear Adrien walk over to her, and she nearly jumps in surprise when he speaks up, "My mother on her seventeenth birthday. She's pretty, huh?"

"You have her smile," Adrien and Ladybug say at the same time.

Ladybug looks over at him with a smile, but it slowly disappears when she sees Adrien looking down at his mother's picture with glazed eyes.

"Adrien—?" Ladybug begins, but she's interrupted when the door to his room suddenly breaks down. A hoard of hypnotized people barges into the room, ready to charge at them. Ladybug looks over at Adrien and says, "Are you down to be partners again?"

"Of course," Adrien grins, knocking people over with a flip of his table. Ladybug launches her yoyo at the people, tying them all down and throwing them into Adrien's bathroom. She grabs Adrien's hand and pulls him out the door, pushing everyone out of the way to get to Gabriel Agreste's office.

Upon getting there, Adrien groans when he sees the room trashed and empty. "Just great," he sighs. "He got caught, didn't he?"

Ladybug slides open her compact and goes on live tv to see if he's at the studio with Simon Says. "Welcome to another exciting hour of _The Challenge_! Good evening again from Simon Says! Viewers, I've kept my promise. Here's Gabriel!" Simon Says announces to the camera.

Gabriel Agreste is dragged into the scene by Gorilla, who clearly still under Simon Says' control. "Simon Says… you are a butterfly!" the akumatized victim says, throwing a card at the fashion designer. Once he gets hit, Gabriel begins flapping his arms and running around the studio.

Adrien twitches at how _ridiculous_ his father looks. "I'd be laughing if I didn't feel extremely uncomfortable," Adrien says, making Ladybug laugh.

"We better get there fast," Ladybug says, holding onto Adrien. "Hold on tight because we're going to be swinging to the other side of Paris."

Adrien holds on tightly to her, and Ladybug tries to ignore the rapid beating of her heart as she launches her yoyo and swings into the air.

Upon reaching the TV Studio, Ladybug and Adrien stand in front of the room Simon Says in filming. "The akuma has to be in one of his cards," Ladybug says.

"But which one?" Adrien asks. "There are so many of them."

"Guess we'll have to find out ourselves," Ladybug says, kicking the door open.

Simon Says turns to the door and smirks when he sees the superheroine and her partner for the day. "Ladybug, you can save him in exchange for your Miraculous," he says.

"In your dreams," Ladybug answers. "LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug throws her yoyo in the air, and what comes down… is a regular, toy yoyo. "…A _non_ -magical yoyo? What am I supposed to do with two yoyos?"

"Try to figure it out later," Adrien says. "We should focus on getting the cards first!"

With a nod, Ladybug spins her yoyo and runs towards the villain, followed by Adrien. "Simon Says your yoyo is useless!" the villain exclaims, throwing a card at her Lucky Charm. Ladybug hits the card with her magical yoyo, but it breaks after one hit, making the color drain from her face.

Simon Says sees Adrien running towards him and takes a card out of his deck. "Simon Says you're a chicken—" the villain begins, but Adrien kicks the card out of his hand before he could throw it.

"I'm not letting you control me!" Adrien says, eyeing his hypnotized father. "Not when _he_ already does!"

Simon Says proceeds to throw cards at the blond, but Adrien manages to dodge each one. Ladybug slides over to all the fallen cards and starts ripping them up to hopefully free the akuma.

"Simon Says—" the akumatized victim starts.

"MIRACULOUS, SIMPLY THE BEST, UP TO THE TEST WHEN THINGS GO WRONG!" Adrien sings loudly so as to not hear what Simon has to say.

"It doesn't matter whether you can hear me or not, all that matters is what Simon says!" he cackles, activating all his cards. "Simon Says remove your Miraculous and give it to me!" Simon Says launches the cards at Ladybug, and seeing this, Adrien immediately throws himself at her to stop her from getting hit.

They end up rolling over a few times, and Adrien ends up on top of Ladybug when the rolling stops. He pushes himself off of her, standing up and reaching out a hand to help her up.

"S-sorry about that," he blushes. Face pink, Ladybug remains silent and grabs his hand so that he could help her up.

Simon Says notices Gabriel Agreste running around behind him and he throws a card at him, saying, "Simon Says… take off like an airplane!"

When he gets hit with the card, Mr. Agreste begins behaving like an airplane and exits through the door leading to the roof. "He's headed for the roof! We got to stop him before—" Adrien begins, but is stopped by Ladybug.

"This is our last chance to capture the akuma; I can't do it alone!" Ladybug says. "If we free Simon Says, we free Mr. Agreste too."

Adrien takes one last nervous glance at the door. "Then, let's not waste another minute," he says.

"And how will you defeat me without your yoyo?" Simon Says laughs. He activates a few cards and says, "Simon Says… it's over!" The cards turn black, and he shoots it at his enemies, who dodge them flawlessly.

"Follow my lead," Ladybug tells Adrien, who nods.

She starts running towards the villain followed by her partner, and deliver a strong kick to his stomach before he could make another attack. The impact of her kick makes Simon Says let go of his cards, and Ladybug uses her yoyo to lift Adrien up into the air. The blond catches the deck of cards and throws it to Ladybug, who catches it. The superheroine rips up the remaining cards, making a black butterfly flutter out of it.

"That's not possible! I made your yoyo useless!" Simon Says cries.

"This one, yes," Ladybug says, holding up her magical yoyo. "But not this one! MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" Ladybug throws her Lucky Charm in the air, and magic dust flies all over the place to return everything to its former glory, including her broken magical yoyo.

Ladybug captures the akuma with a quick whip of her yoyo, releasing a white butterfly instead. "Bye bye, little butterfly," she says as she watches it fly off.

"You make a good partner, Adrien," Ladybug says, holding up her fist. "Pound it?"

"Pound it," Adrien grins, bumping his fist with hers. His eyes widen, "My father!"

Ladybug and Adrien rush to the roof of the building, and the latter sighs in relief to see his father safe. Gabriel Agreste is standing at the very edge of the roof—if they hadn't captured the akuma any sooner, he could've jumped to his death.

The thought of losing his father as well makes Adrien stomach drop.

"Father, you're all right!" Adrien says, rushing over to him.

"Adrien? What are you doing outside of your room? I told you to stay safe," Gabriel Agreste says.

"The least you could do is thank me," Adrien mumbles. "Ladybug and I saved you. Ladybug did most of it though."

"I see," Gabriel says, turning to Ladybug. "Thank you for keeping my son safe."

By his words, Ladybug can tell that he really does love Adrien. There was no mention of his or anybody else's safety—only Adrien's.

Ladybug smiles. "No problem," she says, and her earrings gives off a warning beep. "I should get going. Take care, Mr. Agreste. Goodbye, Adrien."

"Bye, Ladybug," Adrien says, waving goodbye to her one last time before she swings off into the city.

Adrien turns back around to face his dad, only to find that he's already halfway to the door. He sighs, and follows behind him.

* * *

Adrien soon finds himself back at home, in the silence of his own room.

He's standing by the window, looking through the pictures he has of his late mother on his phone, finding it harder to fight his tears the more he scrolled. Plagg is sitting on his shoulder, looking up at his holder with a sad expression on his face.

The doorknob suddenly twists open, and Plagg dives into Adrien's pocket before he could be seen. Gabriel Agreste walks into the room, his face stone-cold as always. He walks over to Adrien, and unexpectedly pulls him in for a hug.

Adrien lets out a gasp of surprise, but once it all sinks it, he eases into his father's touch and hugs him back. The moment is cut short, however, when Gabriel suddenly pulls back.

"I never noticed your ring before," he says, grabbing his son's hand to take a better look at the silver ring.

"Is that the only thing you've never noticed about me?" Adrien frowns, pulling his hand away.

His father's face hardens. "I'm glad everything worked out for the best," he says before exiting his room. He gently shuts the door behind him, and Adrien is left in silence once again.

* * *

"Hey, Adrien."

"…Wait, are you talking to me?"

Adrien and Marinette are at the TV Studio, both invited by Nino to watch him DJ for another round. "Welcome back to everyone's number one game show, _The Challenge_! Last week, Nino Lahiffe won the challenge. So, let's welcome him back again. Come on out, DJ Nino!"

Marinette raises an eyebrow. "Who else would I be talking to?" she asks.

Adrien leans in close to her face and squints his eyes. "You're being awfully nice today. You didn't greet me rudely," he says, clamping a hand on her forehead. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm not," Marinette says, gently pushing his hand away from her forehead, and Adrien almost has a heart attack. "Is me being nice so hard to believe?"

"You didn't even _slap_ my hand away," Adrien says, clutching his chest. "Who are you and what have you done to my klutz?!"

"I just though we'd, you know," Marinette says with a small smile—a smile that sparks familiarity in Adrien's eyes. Before he could give it much thought, she continues, "We can at least get along for today, don't you think?" Marinette quickly adds, "For Nino! Th-the last thing I want is to disappoint Nino."

Adrien smiles. "Sure," he says. "I'm good with that."

"Only for today," Marinette adds. "Once it's over, we can go back to being the way we always are."

"I wouldn't want to delay our arguing any longer than that," Adrien laughs. "I've got _way_ too many things to say to a klutz like you."

Marinette twitches. " _How_ am I supposed to get along with you if you keep provoking me?!" she screams. "I let it go the first time, but now—!"

"Sh, the show's starting," Adrien says, placing a finger to his lips. He tries his best not to laugh when Marinette shoots him a death glare. But he turns away too fast before seeing the smile spread on her face.

"So we upped the challenge for you tonight, Nino," Alec, the host, says. "You're going to have to get two celebrities dancing instead of one! However, this time, you can choose your opponents."

"Oh, I'm going to pick two buds I know won't let me down," Nino grins. "Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Adrien and Marinette's eyes widen.

"O-oh, man! I just remembered I have a photoshoot around this time!" Adrien laughs nervously. "I should get going or I'll be late!"

"Me too! I have… baby-sitting!" Marinette grins nervously. "It _completely_ slipped my mind?"

Both teens run off in different directions to go transform into their alter egos. Not too long after, Chat Noir and Ladybug show up to the scene, both ready to join Nino onstage.

"Ready to lose, My Lady?" Chat Noir smirks.

"You mean, win?" Ladybug grins, making her way to the stage.

Nino begins DJ-ing after Alec introduces both superheroes, and Chat Noir and Ladybug soon find it too hard not to dance to the beat. They're dancing and singing to the song, and for once, they're both having fun instead of being in competition with each other.

While dancing, Chat Noir sneaks a glance at Ladybug, seeing her laugh and smile as she continues to move to the beat. For a split second, he sees his mother's smiling face, but somehow…

It didn't hurt as much.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I'M ALIVE. I'm _really_ sorry for the long wait! School's really been in the way, only now did I actually find some time to write. ;-; I had to change _Jackady_ into _Simon Says_ because _Jackady_ is a pun on _Jacques a dit_ , the French version of _Simon Says_. I couldn't make him say " _Jackady_ says stop!" because if translated, it becomes, "Simon says, says stop!" LOL

And now, for the episode you've all been waiting for; _Volpina_ 's up next! I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I'm going to be writing _two_ versions of _Volpina_. The first version will be an actual ending to this fanfic (followed by an epilogue), and the second version will be an open-ending in case I decide to write for Season 02. I can't believe it's already over. ;-;

Thank you for all the favorites, alerts, and especially the wonderful reviews! Thank you all for staying with me even when my updating schedule got all messed up! I can't thank you all enough! :')

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 14  
Chat Noir: 13**

 _Next Episode: Volpina (Version 01)_


	26. Volpina: Green-Eyed Monster

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 26_

Volpina: Green-Eyed Monster

"Seriously, how are you not sick of that yet?"

Adrien pinches his nose with his fingers as he walks down the stairs of his home. His kwami is sitting on his shoulders holding two slices of Camembert cheese, which he devours in two seconds flat.

"I've been eating cheese for the last five thousand years, kid," Plagg burps. "Trust me, I could go for five thousand more."

Adrien opens his mouth to say something, but he's cut off by the sound of his father exploding in his study room. The blond tip-toes over to the door left ajar and peeks into the room, seeing his father stomping around angrily while holding a cellphone to his ear.

"This is unacceptable!" Gabriel Agreste thunders while flipping through a thick book. "The sample garment doesn't match _at all_! All you had to do was follow a pattern. Imbeciles! What am I supposed to do now?! The show is in three days!"

Adrien's eyes widen when he sees his father throw open the painting of his mother, which reveals to have a secret vault behind it. Adrien throws a hand over his mouth to stop himself from gasping.

"He hides stuff behind the painting of mom?" he whispers to himself.

"No, don't use him, he's completely useless," Gabriel Agreste says, snapping Adrien out of his thoughts. Adrien quickly hides behind the pillar near the door, watching as his father exits the room. "Call my assistant, Nathalie. She'll give you some other news."

When his father is out of sight, Adrien runs into the room and slowly approaches his mother's painting. His chest constricts at the sight of her, and he sinks in all of her features with glazed eyes before pulling it open to reveal the vault.

"Yes," Plagg says while rubbing his little hands together. "I _love_ dirty little secrets. Open it!"

Adrien takes a quick glance at the door and then at the vault. "I can't do it," he shakes his head. "My dad wouldn't like me going through his stuff. Besides, I don't even know the code and my fencing class is about to start."

Plagg rolls his eyes. "What a goodie-two-shoes," the kwami says before phasing through the vault.

"Plagg, _no_!" Adrien screams before clamping his mouth with his hand after realizing how loud he was. The vault flies open seconds later, and Plagg is sitting next to a picture frame of Adrien's mother.

"My, my, what have we got here?" Plagg asks, flying next to Adrien's head to get a better look at the shelf. "A book on Tibet, an old flyer from a hotel, a load of junk. Aw, come on, where's the good stuff—wait, what's this?"

The kwami knocks a hard-cover book into his wielder's hands, looking down at it with a hint of familiarity in his eyes. "I've seen this book somewhere before, but where?" A moment of silence, and then: "Oh well, I can't remember. Let's get going, I'm bored."

"Why is my dad keeping this locked in a safe?" Adrien asks as he flips through the book. He gasps upon landing on a specific page. "Hawkmoth?! What's this villain doing in a book about superheroes?"

Adrien gasps when he hears footsteps approaching. He takes one last look at the book before shoving it into his bag and slamming the vault shut. The door swings open, revealing Nathalie and Gorilla.

"Adrien? You're going to be late," Nathalie says monotonously.

"R-right! Sorry about that," Adrien laughs nervously. He picks up his bag and walks out the door with his father's assistant and driver, looking down at his bag nervously.

He shouldn't have taken the book with him. If his father, for any reason, needs to check the vault later on to find it gone… he's done for.

* * *

Marinette enters the school grounds, noticing immediately the change in atmosphere. She can sense excitement in the air, but also drops of envy. While walking towards the school's entrance, she overhears a bunch of her classmates talk about someone she isn't familiar with.

Who's Lila?

"Can you believe Lila knows Prince Ali?!" Rose exclaims excitedly to Juleka. "She even flew in his private jet with him!"

"Why did Jagged Stone write a song about Lila when he could've written one about me?!" Chloe growls as Sabrina attempts to calm her fuming "BFF" down.

"Lila knows all of the Hollywood directors," Nino tells Max and Kim excitedly. "She promised she'd mention me to Steven Bielsberg himself!"

Marinette sees Alya playing on her phone amongst the crowd of people, and rushes over to her. "Who's Lila?" Marinette asks, and while keeping her eyes glued to her phone, Alya points off in the distance. Marinette follows her finger and gasps when she sees the new girl flirting with Adrien.

"She's Lila? Where did she come from? And what's she doing with Adrien?" Marinette asks, biting her lip at her slip-up. Her second question came out of her mouth before she could even stop herself.

Alya smirks at her best friend. "What's wrong? Afraid she'll take Adrien away from you?"

"You're kidding, right?" Marinette says, crossing her arms and turning away. "She could take him, see if I care!"

"Alright, calm down. I was only kidding," Alya laughs, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Lila's a new student from Italy, and I'm telling you—this girl has the most exciting life! Her parents are both diplomats and she's been to too many places to count!"

"That does seem exciting…" Marinette falters.

"That's not the best part—she personally knows _Ladybug_!" Alya exclaims with a huge grin on her face.

" _What_?!" Marinette screeches, catching the attention of a few students. "Where did you get _that_ kind of information from?!"

"Lila, of course!" Alya says, tapping the _Play_ button on her phone to start the interview she took of Lila earlier. Marinette feels herself shaking with rage while listening to the lies.

But not only does Marinette feel anger bubbling up inside of her, she can feel—though she would _never_ admit it—envy. She doesn't care about the fact that her parents aren't diplomats, but she _is_ envious that she's never even left France. She doesn't know Prince Ali enough to ride in his private jet with him, she doesn't know anyone in Hollywood, and she's… not as pretty.

She feels more and more self-conscious the longer she watches the video. Lila is _really_ pretty—olive green eyes, chestnut brown hair, tall stature, nice figure. She looks like a model, unlike plain old Marinette.

When the video ends, Marinette looks back to where she last saw Lila and Adrien, fuming when she sees the brunette grab his hand. Lila starts leading Adrien into the school library, and that's enough to get Marinette going.

"Alya, we have to stop them!" Marinette pleads, shaking her best friend's arm.

"You have to calm down," Alya says. " _Maybe_ I'll help you if you admit you're jealous."

"How could you say that?!" Marinette screeches. "I'm _not_ jealous!"

"Whatever you say," Alya smirks and walks away to join Nino, Max and Kim. Marinette scowls when her best friend leaves her side, and decides to take action herself.

"I'm not!" Marinette yells after her. Tikki pokes her head out of Marinette's purse and gives her a look. "What?" her holder asks when she sees her.

"Nothing," Tikki smirks, diving back into the purse.

"Not you too," Marinette groans as she rushes to the library to catch up with Adrien and Lila.

But maybe she's not jealous of Lila. Maybe she _is_ afraid that Lila might take Adrien away from her. As Marinette _and_ Ladybug, Adrien has always been there by her side, teasing her and arguing with her, or working with her as a team. If he were to go out with Lila, then their relationship would change completely.

The arguing would stop, the teasing and insults would stop, and the hanging out would stop. Maybe she's just afraid of losing him.

Marinette shakes her thoughts away as she peeks her head through the library doors. She sees Adrien sitting at one of the tables, and she hides behind a bookshelf to spy on him. Marinette dives behind the bookshelf when she sees Adrien look around, and after a few seconds, she looks back to find him taking a hard-cover book out of his bag.

Tikki lets out a gasp and flies out of Marinette's purse. "Marinette, Adrien's book! I need to get a closer look at it!" the kwami exclaims.

"Tikki, come back! Someone might see you!" Marinette whispers desperately. The ladybug kwami flies over to a bookshelf near Adrien to take a better look at the book in his hands.

"Now we can get going on our history homework. It's so much more fun doing it together, don't you think?" Lila says as she enters the scene carrying some books. Adrien quickly throws his history textbook over his father's book as an attempt to hide it. Lila takes a seat next to him, and notices the extra hidden book. She pushes his textbook off of it to get a better look at it, asking, "What's this?"

"Oh, nothing," Adrien says, scratching the back of his head. "It's just a book about superheroes."

Adrien jumps in surprise when Lila places a hand on one of his. "I _love_ superheroes," she says, fluttering her eyelashes.

Marinette growls at the scene before her, and just as she's about to turn around and leave without looking back, she bumps into a book cart. This gives her an idea, and Marinette follows through with it shamelessly. She crouches low enough to hide behind the book cart and subtly pushes it near Adrien and Lila's table to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Lila flips through the pages of Adrien's book, stopping on one with a superhero that looks just like the city's hero. "Ladybug!" she exclaims.

"Looks just like her, huh?" Adrien asks. Lila looks up from the book to see him looking down at the page with a smile on his face.

"You seem to really like her by the way you're looking at her picture," Lila comments, making Adrien shake his head and cough.

"I don't! It's just that I've… worked with her twice already," Adrien says. "I filled in for Chat Noir when he was captured or unavailable. She's nice, just like a hero would be." Marinette's cheeks glow red at her rival's praise, subtly scooting closer to the table.

Lila's eyes flicker with jealousy for a split second before she recomposes herself and lies, "You know, I actually happen to be very close friends with Ladybug." Marinette's mouth flies wide open.

"Really?!" Adrien exclaims. He buys it for a second before doubts fill his mind. "She's never mentioned you before though…"

"The subject never popped up between you guys I guess?" Lila covers up. "We can chat about it if you want—not here though. Why don't we meet at the park after school and I'll tell you everything?"

Marinette accidentally overreacts, causing the book cart to roll away and slam into the wall. Adrien and Lila stand up in surprise, and Marinette quickly dives under the table, hoping not to get caught.

Adrien's phone suddenly beeps, and he opens it up to check his notification. "I have to go," he says as he starts packing his things. "I have fencing in under a minute."

While packing up, Lila surprises him by shifting really close, causing him to drop his bag. "So… the park?" Lila asks, and Marinette lets out a low growl when she sees the brunette's foot kick Adrien's book aside. She packs up all his stuff for him (minus the superhero book) and hands it to him.

"U-uh, sure," Adrien says, sprinting out of the library. When he's out of sight, Lila picks up the book and flips through the pages with a smirk playing on her lips.

"Marinette! We have to get that book back!" Tikki exclaims as she flies over to her wielder.

"I know," Marinette nods. "I have to tell Adrien before he meets up with Lila at the park. He needs to know that she stole it!"

"No! You can't say anything to Adrien yet, I need a chance to check out the book first!" Tikki says. "If it's the one I think it is, we have to get our hands on it!"

"Why?" Marinette asks.

"I'll tell you when we get it," Tikki assures. "For now, don't let Lila out of your sight."

* * *

"We're too far away!"

Marinette and Tikki followed Lila all afternoon—from a jewelry store to the park she's supposed to meet up with Adrien. Lila is sitting on a bench, and Marinette is hiding behind one of the trees aligning the park. Marinette takes out her phone and opens up her camera, using it to zoom in on the new student.

Through this, she sees Lila taking out a fox tail necklace and putting it on. She pulls out the book, but quickly closes it when she hears Adrien's familiar voice greet her hello.

"Oh, hey Adrien!" Lila exclaims, hiding the book behind her as she stands up. She sneakily throws the book inside the nearest trashcan and takes a seat when Adrien sits down.

"She threw it in the trashcan!" Marinette exclaims in disbelief. "What a—"

"It's in the trash? I'll get it!" Tikki exclaims, flying over to it and diving in. The kwami ignores her wielder's cries to stop.

Marinette quietly follows behind, hiding behind the tree next to the trash. "This is the book, Marinette!" Tikki exclaims.

The kwami struggles to get the book out of the garbage, and Marinette hopes that she doesn't get seen when she reaches her hand out to the get it. Thankfully, Adrien and Lila are too immersed in their conversation to notice what's going on around them.

"Do you really know Ladybug?" Adrien asks with slight doubt in his voice.

"Not only did Ladybug save my life, but we've become very close friends because we have something very special in common—it's what I wanted to tell you about," Lila says. "I'm the descendant of a vixen superheroine myself, Volpina."

"Volpina?" Adrien asks. "Wait a minute, I think I read about her in my book!"

Lila panics for a split second when she sees his reach for his bag, but she slaps a hand over it to stop him from opening it. "Of course she's in your book! She's one of the most important superheroes—more powerful and more celebrated than Ladybug."

After hearing this comment, Marinette is _really_ close to throwing the book at Lila's head.

"My grandma gave me this necklace," Lila continues, holding up her necklace.

"She's good," Tikki says absent-mindedly. "Really good."

Not wanting this to continue any further, Marinette gets up and sprints in the opposite direction, followed by her kwami. "You got your book," Marinette says, shoving it angrily into her backpack. "Now you have to let me transform. TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming into Ladybug, Marinette swings over to Adrien and Lila, the latter looking especially horrified. "Hey Adrien, it's nice to see you again," Ladybug says with a smile. She then turns to Lila with the same smile on her face, but with death in her eyes. "Nice to see you again too, _Lila_."

Lila's eyes widen, and she stays silent.

"Long time no see. I saw your interview on the LadyBlog," Ladybug says, stomping a foot on the bench between Lila and Adrien.

"I…" Lila mutters before burying her face in her hands shamefully.

"Sure, I remember our instant connection when I saved your life, and we've been really good friends ever since! Oh, but wait, when did I save your life again? I don't recall." The superhero makes a thinking pose, and then raises a finger as if she remembered something. "Oh, right! _Never_. And we're not friends! We never will be!" She then turns to Adrien and says straight-up, "Miss Show-Off here was trying to impress you and everyone around her."

"So… I guess you aren't the descendant of a superhero, huh?" Adrien asks the now crying girl.

"How dare you?!" Lila screams at Ladybug before getting up and running out of the park.

"Lila, wait!" Adrien calls out to her, and Ladybug feels a pang in her chest at Adrien's concern. The blond then turns to her and says, "Hey, what was all that for?!"

"I hate liars," Ladybug says, locking her yoyo onto a nearby building.

"You didn't have to go that far," Adrien mumbles.

Before Ladybug could say anything she regrets, she pulls on the string of her yoyo and swings out of the scene.

Ladybug makes it home and transforms back into Marinette upon landing in her room past the trapdoor. Tikki falls into her hands and she looks up at her sternly with crossed arms. "There was no reason for you to react the way you did," she scolds.

"You got your book, I cleared the lie," Marinette says. "I'd say we're equal—what's that?!" She runs to her window, gasping when she sees a _meteorite_ heading towards Paris.

After a second transformation that day, Ladybug swings out of her room and towards the meteor, stopping when she sees someone in a fox costume flying towards it instead. Ladybug watches in shock when they successfully manage to throw the meteor back into space.

She then lands on the roof of a building and announces to the Parisians cheering for her, "I am Volpina, the only superhero Paris needs!"

Ladybug lands on a roof, rewinding her yoyo. "Volpina?" she asks.

Chat Noir lands right next to her. "Looks like we have a new rival," he says. While keeping his eye on the already uneasy Ladybug, he adds with a smirk, "And she's cute too."

Ladybug whips her head in his direction. "Cute?" she asks with a slight growl in her voice.

"You heard me," Chat Noir says, twirling his staff around with one hand. "She even stopped a meteor all by herself, pretty impressive, right? I wonder if she'd be down to partner up with me…"

Ladybug's blood boils with anger and jealousy. "Seriously? You'd partner up with someone you haven't even met officially over someone you've been fighting akumas with these past few months?!" Ladybug yells, and Chat Noir stifles his laughter. "Fine, if you think she's _so_ cute, partner up with her! See if I care!"

"You know I'm kidding, right?" Chat Noir says. "You think I'd give in to a partnership that easily? You know me better than that, My Lady."

"You better be kidding," Ladybug growls.

"Calm down," Chat Noir laughs. "You know, you're almost sounding jealous."

"I'M NOT JEALOUS," Ladybug screams, face red.

Chat Noir puts his hands up in defense. "If you say so," he smirks.

Pause.

"She _is_ cuter than you though."

"WHY, YOU—"

Volpina suddenly cuts them off by landing between the two of them, making both rivals cast each other a look. "Hey guys! Glad you dropped in," she says with a (fake) smile. "I think there's something you two should see…"

"Any reason why we should trust you?" Ladybug asks, arms crossed.

"If you want to end all this akumatizing once and for all, then trust me," Volpina says, flying off. Chat Noir and Ladybug look at each other questioningly before following the new superheroine. They all land on a nearby roof, and Paris' two rivals gasping at the sight of the figure standing on top of one of the roofs.

"It's Hawkmoth!" Chat Noir exclaims. "In the flesh!"

"He never shows up! Something big is going on—really big!" Ladybug exclaims.

"We can take him down, but it's going to take all three of us," Volpina says. "We better make the most of our individual talents."

"Time out," Ladybug says, and Chat Noir looks over at his rival. "I hope you know that Chat Noir and I… aren't partners. On top of wanting me and that jerk to work together, you want us to work with you too? Who are you, really?"

Volpina holds a hand out, while the other points at her necklace. "Volpina, wielder of the Fox Miraculous," she says, and Ladybug eyes her hand suspiciously. "You can trust me, Ladybug."

"We'll see," she says, brushing her hand away.

"Come to think of it, there's something fishy going on here. A meteor _and_ Hawkmoth _on the same day_? A little unusual, don't you think?" Chat Noir steps in.

Before either of them could add on to anything else, Hawkmoth teleports from roof to roof. "He's getting away!" Volpina cries, following him, and Chat Noir and Ladybug follow closely behind. When Hawkmoth stops, they stop on the roof they're on. "We have to catch him before it's too late. Ladybug, go to his left. Chat Noir, you take the right, and I'll come from behind."

"Hold up, I don't even listen to _her_ instructions," Chat Noir says, pointing over to Ladybug.

"You should've done a little more research on us," Ladybug says. "We take any route we want." Without it being said, Chat Noir makes his way to attack from behind, and Ladybug heads over to the right.

Lila watches both heroes go with narrowed eyes. It's a lot harder to convince them than she initially thought. She's going to have to go straight to the point then.

Her first target: Ladybug.

* * *

Ladybug is running from roof to roof, trying to catch up to the teleporting supervillain. However, while walking on a townhouse's roof, a red square blinks around her foot, making her stop in her tracks. She looks up, gasping to find over a dozen bombs surrounding her, and behind them— _Volpina_.

"I wouldn't move an inch if I were you," Volpina cackles, making Ladybug gasp. "Don't look at me like that. If you look on the bright side, at least it's not a lie when I say we know each other now."

Ladybug's eyes widen. " _Lila_?!" she exclaims.

"I'm not Lila anymore! From now on, it's _Volpina_!" she screams, making more bombs appear.

"You're not a superhero!" Ladybug screams. "You're another one of Hawkmoth's akumatized victims!"

"Everyone thinks I'm a superhero—you won't be able to call me a liar anymore because everyone will think _you're_ the liar!" Volpina says. "Now, before I get rid of you, you are going to give me your Miraculous or that building goes down." The akumatized victim points over to a building in the distance.

"You wouldn't do that," Ladybug says confidently.

"Watch me," Volpina says, blowing on her flute. The building she pointed at earlier starts crumbling, and many Parisians are screaming in horror at the sight.

"Stop!" Ladybug says, and with trembling hands, she reaches for her Ladybug Earrings. Before she could take them off, however, a pigeon hits the building, and the horrible sight vanishes in a puff of smoke. "An illusion?"

"No!" Volpina gasps.

"The meteor, Hawkmoth… it was all a lie!" Ladybug exclaims. "That's your power, isn't it? Illusions—lies!" The ladybug superhero spins her yoyo around, making the illusions of bombs disappear. Ladybug manages to escape secretly while the clouds of smoke are blocking her from Volpina's view and she immediately calls Chat Noir on her compact.

"My Lady," Chat Noir greets from the other line.

"Chat Noir, did you catch up to Hawkmoth?" Ladybug asks.

"Nope. Lost sight of him," he answers. "He teleported and just… never reappeared, so you can't say anything about it being my fault."

"I wasn't going to blame you," she says. "He was never there in the first place."

Chat Noir pauses before continuing, "What are you talking about? We saw him with our own eyes."

"That's Volpina's power. She creates illusions. The Hawkmoth we saw wasn't real," Ladybug says. "She's not a real superhero—she's an akumatized victim, and… it's all my fault."

"What did you do?" he asks.

"I ruined her chances with a guy she likes," Ladybug sighs.

"Lila?" Chat Noir whispers to himself.

"I'll send you his address, meet me there," she says before hanging up. Chat Noir receives a text message a few seconds later to find out that she sent him the address to his house.

"It _is_ Lila," Chat Noir says to himself before heading in the direction of his house as fast as he possibly can. He makes it before Ladybug or Volpina could, and transforms back into Adrien.

"Uh, wouldn't Chat Noir be more useful in this situation?" Plagg asks.

"If I'm not wrong about Lila being Volpina, maybe I can make her see sense without Chat Noir. Maybe then she'll listen," Adrien says, gesturing for Plagg to go inside his pocket.

"Adrien!" Plagg flies into Adrien's pocket at the sound of the voice. The blond looks up to see the same fox-costumed brunette from earlier.

"Do I… know you?" Adrien asks.

"Do you remember this necklace?" Volpina says, pointing at the accessory around her neck. "I didn't know how to tell you the truth, but at least this way you can see for yourself that I'm not lying. I'm a superhero."

"Lila?!" Adrien exclaims, pretending he didn't know at all.

"You can call me Volpina," she says. "I'm sorry about the scene at the park earlier today. Ladybug's jealous because she's not as powerful as me—"

"Lies again?" Volpina and Adrien turn to the window to see Ladybug shaking her head. "You never learn, do you?"

"See what I mean?" Volpina says. "She's jealous of us! But this time, you aren't going to ruin our date, Ladybug."

"Um, I'd like to clarify that it wasn't a date," Adrien says, and Volpina only turns to him in shock. "I-I mean, if I were to go on a date, I'd—it'd be with—"

"There you have it—it _wasn't_ a date," Ladybug interrupts. "Stop lying already! No one likes liars!"

Adrien sneaks into the bathroom, and Plagg flies out of his pocket. "I knew you wouldn't be able to do this without Chat Noir," Plagg says.

"We better hurry," Adrien says, punching the air. "PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming into Chat Noir once again, he leaps out the window of his bathroom and enters through the window of his room. "Sorry I'm late! I had some trouble… finding the place," he chuckles nervously.

Right when Chat Noir enters, Volpina realizes that she's outnumbered two to one. With a blow of her flute, she creates a dozen more Volpina's and jumps inside the group to hide from them. Ladybug uses her yoyo to hit them, and they all vanish without a trace.

"If these are all illusions, where's the _real_ Volpina?" Chat Noir asks.

Ladybug looks around the room, stopping when she catches sight of a moving orange figure out the window. She gasps when she sees the villain dragging Adrien with her.

"She's taken Adrien!" Ladybug screams, pointing out the window.

"That's an illusion too!" Chat Noir quickly says.

"How do you know?" Ladybug asks.

"She creates illusions," Chat Noir says. "Think about it—she'd never _actually_ hurt an innocent person, would she?"

Ladybug runs into the bathroom, and back out. "Adrien's not in the bathroom, that _must_ be him!" she exclaims. "She's controlled by Hawkmoth after all, maybe she _would_ hurt an innocent person."

When Ladybug leaps out the window, Chat Noir slaps his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm not even going to try to get out of this."

* * *

Both rivals make it to the Eiffel Tower to find a cackling Volpina dangling Adrien over the edge. Chat Noir and Ladybug are climbing up the tower as quickly as they could, stopping when Volpina says, "One step closer and I'm dropping him!"

"This is going too far!" Ladybug screams.

"I'll save him in exchange for your Miraculouses," Volpina grins wickedly.

"I thought you liked him!" Ladybug yells.

"Not as much as seeing you two defeated!" Volpina cackles once more.

"You must be out of your mind if you think we're going to fall for this again," Chat Noir scoffs. "That Adrien's not even real—he's an illusion."

"You want to bet on that?!" the akumatized victim thunders, releasing her hold on his arm one finger at a time.

" _NO_!" Ladybug screams desperately, bringing a hand to her earrings. Chat Noir takes a glance at how high up they are from the ground, and immediately takes action. If she takes her earrings off… she could _die_.

" _Don't do it, Ladybug_!" Chat Noir screams, throwing his staff in Volpina and Adrien's direction. "It's just an _illusion_!" When his staff hits them, they both vanish in a puff of smoke.

The real Volpina pokes her head out from her hiding place to growl at the heroes. "There she is!" Ladybug points, and she and Chat Noir climb all the way to the top, gasping at the sight of all the Volpina illusions. Chat Noir throws himself into battle right away, hitting every fake that comes his way.

Ladybug suddenly stops fighting. "Wait, where's Adrien then?" she asks worriedly.

"It doesn't matter right now, just use your Lucky Charm to end this _now_!" Chat Noir screams, twirling his staff to defeat as many as possible. But it seems that the more he hit, the more appeared. "Ladybug, did you hear me?!"

"But Adrien—!" Ladybug begins.

"Fine, if you're not going to be of any help, I'll do it myself!" Chat Noir screams, throwing his hand up in the air. "CATACLYSM!"

The familiar black glow of Cataclysm appears, and Chat Noir slams his hand on the tower, causing over a dozen of iron bars to fall. They each hit a Volpina illusion, making them vanish and ultimately trapping the real one in a cage.

"I'll take that," Chat Noir says, ripping her necklace off and smashing it with the end of his staff. A black butterfly flutters out of the akumatized item, and the hero paints it white once more. "MIRACULOUS CHAT!"

Magic dust flies all over the town, restoring everything to its former glory. When Volpina turns back into Lila, Ladybug approaches her and rests a hand on her shoulder. "Lila?" she begins softly.

"Ladybug?" Lila asks.

"I overreacted earlier and…" Ladybug sighs. "I never should've spoken to you like that. I'm sorry."

"Forget it, Ladybug. You were right," Lila says, shrugging Ladybug's hand off her shoulder. "We'll _never_ be friends." Before climbing down the tower, Lila picks up the fox tail necklace and puts it in her pocket.

"You must've _really_ pissed her off—" Chat Noir begins.

"I have to go check if Adrien's all right!" Ladybug cuts, whipping out her yoyo. She's about to jump off the Eiffel Tower, when Chat Noir runs in front of her to block her path.

"Uh, y-you don't have to!" Chat Noir stutters nervously. "He's fine! If that Adrien earlier was an illusion, then I'm sure he's safe at home. Volpina wouldn't harm the guy she likes after all, right?"

Ladybug shakes her head, worry written all over her face. "You don't know that!" she screams. "I have to make sure that he's fine!"

Tears are starting to form in her eyes because of the day's events, but they're mostly for Adrien's safety. _She_ was the one who got Lila akumatized in the first place, and it's _her_ fault that Adrien is in possible danger. She wants to cry right then and there, but the last thing she wants is for Chat Noir to see her so weak and vulnerable.

"Ladybug, it's fine, I'll check," Chat Noir says.

"I want to see myself! Don't worry, I'll be quick," she argues. Ladybug walks around him, preparing to jump off and launch her yoyo. "There's no time to argue, I'm going _now_!"

"Why is Adrien so important to you?!" Chat Noir asks, grabbing her arm.

Ladybug looks down, hiding her eyes with her bangs. "Adrien may be a huge jerk to me, he may be a pain, a-and we may fight all the time…" she begins quietly, clenching her fists. Ladybug then looks up with tearful eyes and screams, "But in the end of the day, he's still someone who means a lot to me! And he means a lot more to me than you could _ever_ know!"

At this, Chat Noir's eyes widen and he lets go of her arm, allowing her to jump off the Eiffel Tower and swing off in the direction of the Agreste mansion. He watches her go, replaying her words in his head over and over until her figure disappears in the distance.

" _Adrien may be a huge jerk to me, he may be a pain, a-and we may fight all the time… But in the end of the day, he's still someone who means a lot to me! And he means a lot more to me than you could_ ever _know!"_

When has Adrien Agreste ever been a jerk to Ladybug? When has he ever caused her trouble? When has he ever fought or argued with her? They've only interacted _three times_ —earlier that day, and during the whole Pixelator and Simon Says episodes. Even so, he had to fake kindness to Ladybug so that she wouldn't suspect that he's Chat Noir.

The only person he's purposely a jerk to, and the only person he argues with as Adrien Agreste is—

Chat Noir's eyes widen in realization.

"…Marinette?"

* * *

Chat Noir makes it back home just in time to hear Ladybug—no, _Marinette_ —call his name out from the other side of his bathroom door.

"Adrien?" she asks, and Chat Noir no longer hears Ladybug's voice—all he hears is _Marinette_. "Are you in there? Are you all right?"

Chat Noir quickly runs to his shower and turns the knob when he hears the bathroom door slide open. He hears it slam shut moments later, followed by a squeak. "I-I'm sorry! It's Ladybug!" she exclaims. "I just wanted to make sure if y-you're all right."

"Huh? O-oh, yeah, I'm fine," Chat Noir says, making his way to the door. "I just… After the whole day's events, I thought I'd take a shower to calm myself down. Akuma attacks make me… panic."

"Oh, I-I see!" Ladybug says from the other side. She places her hands against the door and leans in closer. "I'll be leaving now then. I just wanted to make sure you're all right. I'm glad you are."

"Thank you, Ladybug," Ladybug hears Adrien say softly. "Really, thank you."

Chat Noir and Ladybug—Adrien and Marinette—both press their foreheads against the door, and only their sighs overlap with one another.

Chat Noir hears footsteps from the other side of the door, and when he hears the familiar sound of Ladybug's yoyo getting thrown, he gently opens the door and walks out in time to see her jump out his window.

"This whole time…" Chat Noir whispers, letting go of his transformation. "It was you."

* * *

"What exactly is so special about this book?" Marinette asks. She's sitting on the balcony of her house, flipping through the pages of the book she and Tikki managed to save from the trash. The ladybug kwami is sitting on top of her head, looking down at the pages and memorizing each one.

"It has _very_ important information," Tikki explains.

"Information?" Marinette asks, pointing at the text. "It's all written in code."

"I know someone who's been looking for this for a long time. He can decipher them," Tikki says. "This book contains all the secrets of the Miraculous powers. It's sacred and extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. He needs it back."

"Who?" Marinette asks.

"The great guardian," the kwami answers. "I think I should let him know about this. Come on, I'll tell you where to go. Just wait outside his shop while I speak to him."

Marinette nods, and gets up on her feet, shoving the book in her backpack. She follows Tikki's directions, and finds herself in front of the Massage Shop she took Tikki to when the kwami got sick. Marinette knocks on the door, and enters when she hears, "Come in."

She enters through the door to see the same old man from before smiling up at her. "May I help you?" he asks politely.

"I, uh… have this book you might need?" Marinette explains clumsily, taking the book out of her backpack and handing it to him.

The old man's eyes widen and takes it from her hands, looking down at it with awe. Tikki suddenly flies out of Marinette's purse, telling the man, "We've found it, Master."

The elder nods. "Would you leave us alone for a little while, Ladybug?" he asks.

Marinette nods and exits the room, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

"He'll contact us somehow once he's done deciphering the codes," Tikki explains once she's out of the shop. "When he does, you have to tell Chat Noir."

"Tell Chat Noir?" Marinette echoes.

"It may take a while for all the codes to be deciphered, so all we can do for now is wait," Tikki says. "So, don't worry about it."

Marinette nods.

* * *

The next day at school, Marinette enters the classroom, and sees Adrien sitting in his usual spot.

He appears to be on his phone, probably checking his schedule for the day. On her way to her seat, like she does every morning, Marinette greets him, "Good morning, jerk."

Adrien looks up from his phone, and looks up at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She eagerly waits for his morning greeting… but it never comes.

He just looks away.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A/N:** I'M ALIVE AND I'M SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING. AGAIN.

Not only was school drowning me in work, but it was really hard for me to find a way to get the Master Fu thing out of the way so that it'd fit with the Finale next chapter. On the bright side, you guys don't have to wait too long for next chapter because I already finished writing it! I just have to edit/revise it and it'll be out in not too long. :)

And after that, it's _Volpina (Version 02)_! So, dangling Marinette? Jealous Adrien? You'll get both of those in that chapter!

Thank you for the favorites, alerts, and kind reviews! I love you all! :)

Thank you for reading!

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 14  
Chat Noir: 14**

 _Next Episode: Finale_


	27. Finale: Love and Hate

**Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 27_

Finale: Love and Hate

Adrien starts acting weird around her.

Marinette notices this the day after Volpina's appearance.

He usually greets her, "Good morning, klutz," whenever she enters the classroom, but now, he doesn't even look at her. She didn't mind it at first; it was just a morning greeting after all. But when he doesn't even say goodbye at the end of the day, she starts feeling a bit hurt.

She notices that he can talk to Nino and Alya just fine, but when it's just the two of them, he hardly says anything at all. Out of frustration, she even tried starting arguments with him, but he would just stay silent, and either just shrug or give her a small smile.

She didn't think much of it at first—she thought he was just having bad day, so she shrugged it off as unimportant. But after a whole week of being ignored, after a whole week without talking to him, she could slowly feel her heart breaking.

They left bad impressions on each other when he first transferred into the school, but after everything they've been through—Adrien's birthday, Valentine's Day, the video game competition and everything else—how could he just push her away?

"What's up with you and Adrien?" Alya asks. She and Marinette are at the park having a little picnic during lunchbreak because the sun's out and the weather is not too cold and not too hot. They didn't want to spend lunch indoors and waste such a beautiful day. "Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

Marinette is about to take a bite out of her sandwich, but she lowers her food and looks down sadly. "I'm not so sure myself," she answers. "I honestly don't know why he's acting this way."

"Really?" Alya asks, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Adrien wouldn't be acting this way for nothing. And he's not the type to hold a grudge either. You must've done something really bad to make him this angry."

"That's the problem—I didn't do _anything_ ," Marinette groans, throwing her hands up in the air. "I think. I just—I don't even _know_ what I did to make him so angry. And whenever I ask him, he just ignores me."

Alya makes a thinking pose. "Actually, if you ask me… he doesn't really seem angry," she says. "He looks more… upset, sad, disappointed maybe?"

"You think so?" Marinette asks, sighing. She throws away her half-eaten sandwich, her appetite long gone by now. "Either way, I just want the old Adrien back."

Alya starts laughing all of a sudden, making Marinette blink in confusion. "I-I'm sorry," the scarlet-haired girl says in between wheezes. "It's just… You always said things like, 'I'd give anything for just a day without Adrien!', but now that you've have _a week_ without him, you're upset."

"I never mean it when I say that…" Marinette says quietly, looking down. "Now I understand why people say _be careful what you wish for_ …"

Alya places a comforting hand on Marinette's shoulder. "I'm sure things will go back to the way they were," she assures her. "Everything will be fine."

Marinette sighs.

"I hope so."

* * *

Adrien knows he shouldn't be acting this way, but it's just so hard to believe because Ladybug and Marinette are so _different_.

"You're just hurting her, you know," Plagg says, playing around with a slice of Camembert cheese. "I see the look on her face whenever you ignore her."

"I know, I just don't know what to do or say because…" Adrien sighs, running a hand through his hair. "She's _Ladybug_ , Plagg. How am I supposed to react to this?"

"Just tell her," the black cat kwami says, swallowing the cheese whole. "The longer you postpone the truth, the more hurt she'll get."

"You're helpful for once," Adrien says, raising an eyebrow.

Plagg shrugs. "I don't like seeing you guys this way. The arguing's annoying, but the silence is unbearable," he says.

"You're right. I miss the fighting too," Adrien says, checking the time on the clock. "Only two more hours until patrol. I'll tell her everything tonight."

"Tonight?" Plagg asks, looking out the window to see raindrops hitting the glass. "But it's raining."

Adrien takes a glance at the black umbrella lying next to his bed.

"Good."

* * *

It's raining late at night, but this doesn't stop Chat Noir and Ladybug from meeting up for patrol. Ladybug makes it to the highest iron platform of the tower, unsurprised to see her rival already there. He's sitting down with his legs dangling over the edge, looking down at the city of Paris.

"Good evening, Chat Noir," Ladybug greets, walking over to him. She doesn't take a seat next to him because they're going to be racing around the city anyway. "Ready?"

Chat Noir remains silent, and he doesn't look up at her or insult her or make a pun like he normally would do. Ladybug frowns at his actions—he's acting a lot like Adrien. She doesn't need another important person in her life ignoring her.

While Adrien keeps her life eventful and fun in her civilian life, Chat Noir does the same in her superhero one. She's already lost one, and she doesn't want to lose the other.

"Ladybug," Chat Noir suddenly says, and this makes a smile appear on Ladybug's face. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" Ladybug asks. Chat Noir gets up from his seat and stands in front of her, his ears drooped and his expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," Chat Noir says quietly.

Ladybug blinks. "Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?" she asks in confusion. "You didn't do anything wrong?"

"It took me so long to figure it out," Chat Noir says, looking down. Ladybug notices that strapped next to his staff is a black foldable umbrella. They're both getting soaked right now—she wonders why he didn't take it out to shield them from the rain. "And when I put the pieces together, I just couldn't face you. I'm so sorry for avoiding you all week, I just didn't know how to react to all this."

"Chat, what are you talking about?" Ladybug asks. "You haven't been avoiding me? We met up for patrol all week. You showed up every day. You wouldn't have if you were avoiding me."

Chat Noir sighs. "Not only are you clumsy, but you're pretty oblivious too, aren't you, Marinette?"

" _Hey_ , how am I supposed to—" Ladybug's eyes widen. She whispers, "What did you call me?"

"Marinette," Chat Noir repeats, and he looks up to see her shocked expression. "I'm sorry. I know we agreed not to let each other know about our secret identities, but it just… happened."

"Who…" Ladybug begins almost inaudibly sue to the heavy pouring of the rain. "Who are _you_?"

Chat Noir unstraps the black umbrella from his belt and opens it up. He holds it over his head for a second before holding it out for Ladybug to take.

"We wouldn't want you catching a cold, now would we?"

Ladybug's eyes widen in realization.

"…Adrien?"

Chat Noir nods. "Marinette," he says softly, taking a step closer to her so that both of them would be under the umbrella. "It's me."

"It can't be… you can't…" Ladybug says while shaking her head and covering her hands with her mouth in surprise. "You can't be Adrien…"

Chat Noir takes her hand and clasps it over the umbrella. He lets his transformation go, and after a flash of bright green, Adrien stands in the same exact spot. Ladybug almost drops the umbrella when their eyes meet.

"I told you," he says. Ladybug remains silent—too shocked to say anything. Adrien doesn't say anything either, but then, he starts _laughing_. "I'm sorry, it's just—I just find it so funny how we don't get along with or without the mask…"

Ladybug remains silent.

"What's wrong?" Adrien asks, and his laughter ceasing.

"You…" Ladybug begins. "When did you find out?"

"The day Lila got akumatized," Adrien answers, taking the umbrella's handle. "You said that you and Adrien fight all the time and that he's a huge jerk to you, and that confused me a bit because _Ladybug_ and _Adrien_ never argues while working together. So, that made me think and the _only_ person I'm ever a jerk to and the _only_ person I argue so much with is… you."

"I see," Ladybug falters. She then laughs, "I should pay more attention to what I'm saying. This isn't the first time my tongue slipped…"

"It _is_ you, isn't it?" Adrien asks, taking a step closer to shield her from the falling rain.

Ladybug nods and lets her transformation go. After a glow of pink, Marinette stands in front of him with a small smile on her face. "It's me," she says.

"Good," Adrien says, making Marinette's eyes widen slightly.

She thinks he's going to say something to make fun of her, but Adrien smiles instead, and Marinette feels as though she has to hold onto this moment. Because if things don't exactly go well tonight… this may be the last time she'll ever see him smile at her.

"Good?" Marinette echoes.

Adrien nods. "I'm glad it's you."

Marinette shakes her head. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?" she asks, and Adrien's smile vanishes in a second. "Adrien, _please_ don't joke at a time like this. _Please_ ," Marinette pleads. "Because I… I really _am_ glad that it's you."

"I really did leave a bad impression on you, huh? I really—" Adrien begins, and then he freezes. "Wait… what did you say?"

"I'm glad it's you," Marinette repeats slowly, biting her lip. "There isn't anyone else I'd be happier for Chat Noir to be. Because the boy who makes terrible puns whenever he gets the chance, the boy who likes to make my life a living hell, and the boy who's been protecting me all this time… I can confidently say that…" Marinette looks down, her cheeks turning bright red. "He's the one I like."

Adrien stands frozen in place, and just stares at her with wide eyes.

His father always expected so much from him. He works hard day and night, balancing school, photoshoots, fencing, piano and Chinese to impress his father, but it's never good enough. He tries his best to be a model student and the perfect son to gain approval, and he's slowly losing himself because of it.

When he was granted his powers, and he can be himself even as a superhero. He can be the boy who can stand up for himself, the boy who doesn't let people push him around or decide for him, the boy who can speak his mind.

But whether he was Chat Noir or Adrien, Marinette let him be himself around her. He's not afraid to argue with her or insult her or make fun of her. She helped him without even knowing it. He thought that no one would ever like his true self because he's the opposite of perfect. But Marinette does like him, and she likes him for who he is, flaws and all.

"Thank you," Adrien says quietly, giving her a small smile. "And I really do mean what I said. I'm glad it's you. I'm glad that Ladybug is Marinette—that they're the same clumsy, violent girl who's been by my side no matter how many times I've pushed her away. I guess I can confidently say that…" He grins, "I like her too."

Marinette smiles, and releases the breath she didn't even know she was holding.

Everyone loves the brave, confident and flawless Ladybug, while the clumsy, self-doubting Marinette Dupain-Cheng is left forgotten. She has to fake her true self because Paris would never put their trust in such an ordinary, nothing-special girl. Marinette lives in the shadow of her "better" alter-ego, and no one would've picked her over Ladybug.

That is, until Adrien Agreste came into her life.

He didn't start off liking the perfect Ladybug like everyone else. He liked the girl who sits behind him in class, the girl who got him a birthday present, the girl who crushes him in video games, the girl who trips over nothing and everything, the girl who gives everything her all. She's not perfect, she's not amazing, but she's Marinette, and she's the one Adrien likes.

"I've also been wanting to ask," Adrien says, scratching the back of his head. "Remember what you said after we captured the akuma? You said something about me being important to you…" Marinette feels her cheeks warm up at the memory of her words. "Did you mean that?"

"…I did," she answers. "We do fight all the time, but it's… fun. We're _ourselves_ when arguing together."

Adrien smiles. "I couldn't agree more," he says.

Marinette laughs, "I found it so annoying at first, you know? I always said things like, 'I'd give anything for just a day without Adrien!' but during this whole week without you, I would've given anything to get you back. I always find myself looking forward to coming to school the next day because it meant I'd get to fight with you."

"I thought the same," Adrien says. "I think it all started when you made me that scarf for my birthday. I haven't gotten a birthday gift in years, and to think that you made me something even though we didn't get along… it made me happy. Thank you for the gift. And thank you for liking me for who I really am."

"Thank you for liking me for who I really am, too," she says, inching closer to him. "I guess there really _is_ a fine line between love and hate."

"Yeah," Adrien says, barely above a whisper. He lowers his head and looks into her eyes, smiling, "You can say that again, klutz."

"Shut up, you jerk," Marinette says softly before closing the gap between them.

That night, Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't be seen patrolling the streets of Paris. Instead, two figures could be seen sitting at the top of the Eiffel Tower sharing their first kiss.

* * *

"SORRY I'M LATE!"

"Congratulations. I'm a hundred years old."

Marinette is running towards Adrien, who's waiting by the fountain at the park, and stops in front of him. She places her hands on her knees and pants heavily after sprinting from her house to their meet-up spot. She might have taken _a little_ too much time getting ready, resulting in her being a good ten minutes late.

When she catches her breath, Adrien says, "I like what you're wearing."

"Huh? O-oh! Thank you!" Marinette bumbles, looking down at her outfit. She's wearing a baby blue summer dress with a snow-white elbow-length cardigan over it. Her hair is down instead of being in its usual pigtails, but a few strands of hair are tied back with a baby blue ribbon.

"Is it new?" Adrien asks.

"This? No, I've had it for a while now," Marinette smiles. Adrien lifts his hand up to her face, and Marinette feels her heartbeat speed up when she thinks he's going to cup her cheek.

Instead, he pulls on the price tag attached to her cardigan.

"So, you keep price tags on your clothes?" Adrien smirks, making Marinette's face turn bright red.

"Th-that—" she stammers, while he laughs his head off. Marinette angrily rips off the tag and storms off, and Adrien runs after her, howling with laughter. She yells, "Shut up!" when he doesn't stop laughing.

"No need to be embarrassed," Adrien grins. "You really do look nice. We're matching, too." He points at his shirt, and Marinette then takes this as an opportunity to see what he's wearing.

Adrien is wearing a light blue dress shirt that he rolled up to his elbows. He has on cuffed dark jeans, and white sheos. Marinette is unsurprised at how well he dresses—he _is_ a model after all.

"Alright, so what do you have planned out for today?" she asks with a smile.

"I was thinking of going to that carnival they put up near the Louvre," Adrien says, scratching the back of his head. "They say the view at the top of the Ferris wheel is amazing."

"Really? That sounds great, let's go!" Marinette exclaims, grabbing his hand and running in the direction of the Louvre.

The carnival occupies all the available space, and it's filled with Parisians. There are games, rides for all ages, and a tall Ferris wheel with closed gondolas stands near the center, reaching up to the skies above. Adrien and Marinette excitedly fall in line for the Ferris wheel after buying their tickets.

"Two tickets each," the person at the counter says. After punching their tickets, the person opens up the gondola to let them in. "You two are lucky you're the last ones to get in, the ride starts once you enter."

"Thank you," Marinette tells him.

"After you, My Lady," Adrien teases, bowing and gesturing for her to get inside. Marinette pounds him over the head while walking past him, and Adrien only laughs in response.

Once the doors shut, the Ferris wheel starts moving and Adrien and Marinette stare in awe at the view upon reaching the top of the wheel. This is of course nothing compared to the view of Paris at night at the top of the Eiffel Tower, but it still is a sight to see.

"I bet you five euros Alya and Nino are following us," Marinette says. She and Adrien passed by a _very_ suspicious-looking couple on their way here—Alya and Nino _did_ mention that Adrien and Marinette were acting nicer to each other the past few days, so it wouldn't be a surprise to them if Alya suggested they spy on them. "Do you think we can catch them from up here?"

" _Wheel_ see," Adrien smirks.

Ladybug turns to him with a straight, unimpressed face. "Shut up," she says.

"You know you love me," Adrien smiles, looking back out the gondola's window.

Marinette stares at his profile, and a smile slowly graces her lips while she's doing so. "Yeah," she says softly, turning back to look out the window. "I know."

Suddenly the ride stops, making Adrien and Marinette look down to see what's going on. The intercom goes off and the person at the counter says, "We have a bit of a situation right now, so all of you must get off the ride once you reach the bottom!"

"Don't tell me…" Adrien groans, looking down with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Akuma attack," Marinette says flatly as her eyes shift to the bottom of the ride to see someone shrinking people with an item too small for her to make out. The victim most likely got akumatized because they were too short to get on a ride. Hawkmoth gave him the ability to shrink everyone so that they would be too short for the rides too.

"We can continue our date after beating this guy," Adrien says, taking Plagg out of his pocket, who's currently taking a nap. He rolls his eyes at how lazy his kwami is.

"Sounds good," Marinette says as she opens up her pure, allowing Tikki to fly out. "I don't think you've met her yet. This is Tikki, my kwami."

"Nice to meet you, Chat Noir!" the ladybug kwami explains.

"Nice to meet you too," Adrien nods, then re-directs his attention to Marinette. "And this is my kwami, Plagg."

"Why're you guys so loud?" Plagg groans, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I'm trying to sleep here."

Tikki flies over to Plagg and grins, "Plagg! It's been so long!"

"Not long enough," Plagg answers, making Tikki's smile disappear. Adrien and Marinette laugh at their interaction—they're just like them. "I hope you guys have a good reason for waking me up."

"There's an akuma attack going on," Adrien tells him. He then looks up at Marinette, and exclaims, "We have to go save the day!"

"…We?" Marinette asks, eyes lighting up.

"Don't make me change my mind," Adrien says, his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. Marinette laughs, nodding.

"TIKKI!"

"PLAGG!"

" _TRANSFORM ME_!"

The incoming Ferris wheel gondola flashes pink and green, and the employee opens up the doors and jumps back in surprise when Chat Noir and Ladybug exit from it. The two superheroes start running towards the akumatized victim, ready to save the day.

"We're tied in points, right?" Chat Noir asks, taking his staff out.

Ladybug nods, whipping out her yoyo. "Fourteen-fourteen."

"Hm, actually, before we officially become partners," Chat Noir smirks. "Want to see who can win the fifteenth point, klutz?"

Ladybug smiles. "You're on, jerk."

 _the end_

* * *

 **A/N:** Is this really the end or just the end of _Who Needs Love?_ Season 01? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I can't believe it's over. I really did enjoy writing this rival!au. It was challenging at times, but every time I received a new favorite, alert or review, I always told myself that the work was worth it. Really, thank you all for staying with this story up until its completion. Hopefully I wrote a good ending to it. Hopefully I didn't disappoint. (I originally didn't intend for them to kiss but COME ON YOU GUYS WAITED THIS LONG RIGHT LOL).

Please let me know what you think about the ending! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, good or bad. :)

Thank you for reading!

Thank you for everything!

 _Next Episode (Extra): Volpina (Version 02)_


	28. Volpina: Green with Envy

_Note: For this version, the timeline goes: Simon Says, Princess Fragrance, then Volpina._

* * *

" _In today's news, Chat Noir successfully saved several brainwashed victims, including Prince Ali, from a recent akuma attack. He wasn't alone, however, a student from École Francoise-Dupont—"_

 _Pause._

A girl with long, brown hair and striking olive eyes scans her computer screen with somewhat of a glare. Not at her favorite superhero, but at the pig-tailed girl standing next to him.

Who is she?

She wouldn't have minded it being Ladybug of course, but this civilian who has no super-powers whatsoever, this civilian who's nothing special— _she_ got to partner up with _Chat Noir_?

Having moved from Italy to Paris, Lila felt it necessary to do some research to know what she was getting into. That's when she stumbled upon the LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat, and it's no denying she instantly fell in love with Chat Noir.

Sure, he may be conceited and rude sometimes, but deep down, she knows he's good at heart. She knows it's just a defense mechanism so as to not make the civilians worry—being a kid who carries the weight of the whole country (or even world) on his shoulders, he must be tired.

Ladybug is all she's ever wanted to be. To be able to work with him and talk to him, Lila would give so much just to be a hero like her. She did feel undertones of envy every now and then, but it's never been as strong as now. From the way that girl interacted with Chat Noir, she must be pretty close to him.

She replays the Princess Fragrance news report one more time, casting a glance at the student registration paper on her desk.

 _École Francoise-Dupont_. The next day, Lila's going to be in the same school as her. She's going to be walking down the same hallways, sit in the same classrooms, talking to the same classmates. Her lips curve into a smile when an idea comes to mind, and she unpauses the news report to continue watching.

"Just you wait," Lila says. When the camera focuses on the pig-tailed girl, she continues, " _I'll_ be the one working alongside Chat Noir."

* * *

 **Who Needs Love?**

 _Episode 26; 2.0_

 _Season 01 Finale_

Volpina: Green with Envy

* * *

Adrien enters the school grounds, noticing immediately the change in atmosphere. He can sense excitement in the air, but drops of envy as well. While walking towards the school's entrance, he overhears a bunch of her classmates talk about someone he isn't familiar with.

Who's Lila?

"Can you believe Lila knows Prince Ali?!" Rose exclaims excitedly to Juleka. "She even flew in his private jet with him!"

"Why did Jagged Stone write a song about Lila when he could've written it about me?!" Chloe growls as Sabrina attempts to calm her fuming "BFF" down.

Adrien sees Nino and Alya together amongst the crowd of people, the two of them watching something on the latter's phone, and he rushes over to them. "Hey, what did I miss? Who's Lila?" Adrien asks, and while keeping their eyes glued to the phone, Nino and Alya point off in the distance. Adrien follows their fingers and raises an eyebrow when he sees an unfamiliar girl screaming excitedly with Marinette.

"She's Lila? Where did she come from?" Adrien asks. To be completely truthful, he finds Lila really pretty. Chestnut brown hair, olive green eyes, tall stature; she's like a model, but to him, unmatched by Marinette's simple pigtails, ocean blue eyes and bright smile.

"Lila's a new student from Italy, and I'm telling you, man—she has the most exciting life! Her parents are both diplomats and she's been to too many places to count!" Nino exclaims. "And from what I've heard, she personally knows Jagged Stone, Prince Ali _and_ a bunch of Hollywood directors! She promised she'd mention me to Steven Bielsberg himself!"

"Wow, that _is_ amazing," Adrien admits.

"That's not the best part—she personally knows _Chat Noir_!" Alya exclaims with a huge grin on her face.

" _What_?!" Adrien screeches, catching the attention of a few students. "Where did you get _that_ kind of information from?!"

"Lila, of course!" Alya says, tapping the _Play_ button on her phone. Adrien feels himself shaking with rage while listening to the lies. How could she lie about that?! Now, he's really starting to doubt what she said about knowing all those famous people.

When the video ends, Adrien looks back to where she last saw Lila and Marinette, fuming when she sees the brunette link arms with her. Lila and Marinette walk into the school library looking like new best friends, and that's enough to get Adrien going.

"Guys, we should stop them," Adrien says. "I don't want Marinette hanging out with a _liar_."

"Liar? How do you know she's lying?" Nino asks.

"How could she personally know Chat Noir?" Adrien asks. "She just moved here! If Chat Noir saved her, wouldn't we hear some news about it from Italy? Wouldn't it be on the Miraculous Chat, Alya?"

Alya frowns. "I mean, I get that the Miraculous Chat posts updates about him, but how can I know _everything_ about him?" she defends.

"Good point, but aren't you even the tiniest bit afraid she might take your best friend away from you?" Adrien asks. "From the looks of it, she's getting a little too close to Marinette…"

"You have to calm down. Lila is apparently on Team Chat too; she's probably just excited to have made a new friend who likes him just as much," Nino says. He then smirks, " _Maybe_ we'll help you if you admit you're jealous."

"How could you say that?!" Adrien screeches. "I'm _not_ jealous!"

"Whatever you say," the couple smirks and continues watching the videos. Adrien scowls when he realizes he's all on his own, and decides to take action himself.

"I can sense your jealousy from a mile away," Plagg says in a sing-song voice. "I didn't think you were _this_ protective. I mean, she's no real threat unlike Theo or Nathanael—this Lilac girl probably just wants a friend."

" _Lila_ , Plagg. You really _are_ bad with names," Adrien whispers. "And I'm _not_ jealous."

"Whatever you say, kid," Plagg says, and Adrien could _hear_ the smirk in his voice. Adrien groans as he rushes to the library to catch up with Marinette and Lila.

Adrien peeks his head into the library, and when he sees Marinette sitting at one of the tables, he hides behind a bookshelf to spy on her. Adrien dives behind the bookshelf when he sees Marinette looking around, and after a few seconds, he takes a peek to find Marinette looking through her phone with a smile on her face.

"Hm, I wonder what she's looking at," Plagg says, flying out of Adrien's pocket. "I'll go check!"

"Plagg, get back here! Someone might see you!" Adrien whispers desperately. The black cat kwami disobeys him and flies over to a bookshelf near Marinette to take a better look at what she's watching. Its' the news report from the whole Princess Fragrance attack, and she's watching the part where she's seen talking to Chat Noir.

"Now we can get going on our history homework. It's so much faster doing it in groups, don't you think?" Lila says as she enters the scene carrying some books. Marinette quickly throws her history textbook over her phone as an attempt to hide it. Lila takes a seat next to her, notices the unusual bump on her textbook, and pushes her textbook off of it to get a better look. "What are you watching, Marinette?" she asks.

"Oh, nothing," she says, scratching the back of her head. "It's just the news report on Chat Noir from a few days back."

"Oh, I've seen this one," Lila says. "You got to work with him, huh?"

"I did," Marinette nods. "He's really amazing."

"He is," Lila says, and a ghost of a smirk appears on her face when she notices the dreamy look on Marinette's face. "I actually happen to be very close friends with Chat, did you know?"

Adrien's jaw drops upon hearing her lie _again_ , and just as he's about to turn around and leave without looking back, he bumps into a book cart. This gives him an idea, and Adrien follows through with it shamelessly. He crouches low enough to hide behind the book cart and subtly pushes it near Marinette and Lila's table to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Really?!" Marinette exclaims. "He's never mentioned you before though…"

"He may be pretty rude to Ladybug sometimes as we can see on the LadyBlog and Miraculous Chat, but he really does have a heart of gold. Maybe he didn't mention me so as to keep me safe, you know?" Lila covers up. "We can talk more about it if you want—not here though. Why don't we meet at the park after school and I'll tell you everything?"

Adrien accidentally overreacts, causing the book cart to roll away and slam into the wall. Marinette and Lila stand up in surprise, and Adrien quickly dives under the table, hoping not to get caught.

Marinette's phone suddenly beeps, and she opens it up to check his notification. "I have to go," she says as she starts packing his things. "My parents need my help at the bakery."

"Your parents own a bakery?" Lila asks.

Marinette nods. "The Dupain-Cheng bakery! It's not too far from here, actually," she says. "Come by if ever you want any sweets. My dad makes the _best_ macarons."

While she's packing up, Adrien sees Lila purposely make Marinette drop all her things, causing her to drop her phone and bag. "I can count on you to be at the park later on? I'll tell you what I know about Chat," Lila asks, and Adrien lets out a low growl when he sees the brunette's foot kick Marinette's phone aside. She packs up all her stuff for him (minus the cellphone) and hands it to her.

Marinette nods. "I'll see you later!" she says, sprinting out of the library. When she's out of sight, Lila picks up the cellphone and flips through the images and screenshotted news reports with a smirk playing on her lips.

"All I have to do now is get her to introduce me to Chat Noir," Plagg overhears Lila say to herself as she walks out of the library.

"This new girl's planning on using Marinette to get to Chat Noir," Plagg says as she flies over to his wielder.

"Really?" Adrien asks. "Why does she have to drag Marinette into this?"

"I don't know," Plagg shrugs. "You humans and your lies. It's crazy how you would go through great lengths to get what you want."

"Yeah, well that's how we are sometimes. I have to stop her from going," Adrien says, walking out of the library. "All I have to do is keep her away from the park all afternoon. I can do this."

* * *

"Good afternoon—Adrien?"

Adrien walks through the doors of the bakery with a smile and a wave, and Marinette raises an eyebrow in suspicion. "Hey there, Marinette," Adrien says, leaning over the counter.

" _What_ are you doing here?" she asks. "Are you seriously here to distract me and ruin my day?"

Adrien places a hand on his chest, and pretends to be offended. "How could you say that?" he asks, and Marinette merely rolls her eyes. He grins, "How much longer until your shift ends?"

"The rush just ended, so I'll probably just stay for ten more minutes in case any new customers come in," Marinette says. "Are you here to buy something or…?"

"Not really," Adrien shrugs. "I actually… thought that _maybe_ you'd want to hang out after those ten minutes are up?"

Marinette raises an eyebrow. "Okay seriously, what do you want?" she deadpans.

" _Nothing_ ," Adrien says with an exasperated sigh. "This new ice cream parlor down the street just opened up, so I thought you'd want to try it out with me? It'll be my treat."

"What new ice cream parlor? Are you talking about _Jen and Berry's_? Because that's been open for a while now and you know the owners are on vacation for a week, right?" Marinette says, and all the color drains from Adrien's face.

"Oh, I… I didn't know that," Adrien says, and he could hear Plagg slap his forehead in his pocket. "Then do you have anything else in mind?"

"Well, there's actually this café I've been wanting to try on the other side of town. Bubble tea sounds really good right now," Marinette says.

" _Perfect_ , okay, so bubble tea in," Adrien eyes the clock behind her. "Four minutes? I'll treat you! Buy a large, order extra tapioca or jelly, buy all the cakes, just _come with me_."

"Are you okay? You sound really desperate," Marinette says. "And if I think too much about it, you're making it sound like a date."

Adrien's face turns bright red. "Let me get this straight—it is _not_ a date," he says.

"Good," Marinette says, feeling her ears burning. "Hm… is it really your treat? Are there really no strings attached?"

"Yes, it's my treat and no, there's no catch," Adrien assures. "I'm just a nice person asking a good friend of mine if she wants to hang out. I'd hate to waste such a nice day, and besides, we've already hung out together before. Don't make this weird."

" _Alright_ , geez. I'll go with you," Marinette says, and Adrien lets out a sigh of relief. "Oh, wait!"

Adrien's heart stops. _Don't say it, don't say it—_

"I have to meet up with someone after my shift," Marinette says.

"Can you meet them some other day?" Adrien asks almost too quickly. "I'm being _nice_ here. How could you pick someone you've met today over someone you've known for almost a year now?"

"Cancelling last minute would be rude," Marinette says. "Besides, I already told her I'd meet her and I have no way of contacting her to cancel. Maybe some other time?" She turns to look at the time, and sees that her ten minutes are up. "Well, time's up. I'm heading out now, let's hang out some other day, all right?"

Marinette walks past the counter and past him, but Adrien grabs her wrist before she could go. She turns to him with a shocked expression on her face, and Adrien keeps a determined look on his face.

"Don't go," he whispers. "Stay with me."

Marinette blinks. "Adrien—?"

The bells above the door jingle, signaling that someone has just entered the shop.

Adrien and Marinette look up to see Lila standing at the door. Upon realizing that he's still holding onto Marinette's wrist, Adrien lets go, and the couple turns away from each other with burning cheeks.

"Was I interrupting something?" Lila asks with a smirk.

"No, no, nothing at all!" Marinette exclaims, still red in the face. She rushes over to Lila's side and continues, "Adrien was just telling me about… something…" She laughs nervously, and Adrien just scratches the back of his head bashfully.

"Well, if you don't mind, Adrien," Lila says. "I'm going to steal Marinette for the rest of the day."

"Take her," Adrien says, looking up at her with a straight face. "I'll see you around, Marinette."

Marinette nods, and walks out the door followed by Lila, leaving him behind.

"Well, you certainly failed," Plagg says unencouragingly. "You probably could've stopped her from going if you had just said it was a _date_. It would've seriously thrown her off, seeing how uncalled for it is, and she probably would've forgotten all about her hang-out with Lila."

"I don't want to ask her out like _that_ …" Adrien says. He looks out the window of the bakery, seeing the two girls sit on a bench at the park. "I'm following them," he says, walking out the door.

* * *

"Unless you have sonic hearing, you'd know we're too far from them."

Adrien and Plagg are hiding behind one of the trees aligning the park Marinette and Lila are in. Adrien takes out his phone and opens up the camera, using it to zoom in on the two girls.

Through this, he sees Lila taking out a fox tail necklace and holding it up for Marinette to see. "I have to get closer to them," Adrien says, running behind one tree to the other until he's crouched down behind the closest tree.

"Do you really know Chat Noir?" he hears Marinette ask with slight doubt in his voice.

"Of course I do. Not only did he save my life, but we've become close friends because we have something very special in common—it's what I wanted to tell you about," Lila says. "I'm the descendant of a vixen superheroine myself, Volpina."

"Volpina?" Marinette asks. "You mean to tell me you're a Miraculous wielder too?"

"That's right," Lila lies, pointing at her necklace. "My grandma gave me this necklace. It's been passed on from generation to generation. I think it's finally time I use it for good, don't you think? I'm sure Chat Noir would be glad to see me again."

"He would… wouldn't he?" Marinette says, somewhat sadly. While she may already be close to Chat Noir as Ladybug, Marinette can't help but worry—worry that Chat Noir and Volpina will become Paris' new superhero duo and leave Ladybug behind.

Chat Noir may say that he doesn't like partnerships, but he's worked with Marinette a few times before already. If Volpina's a close friend of his, then he'd no doubt partner up with her. Where does that leave Ladybug? No more patrols, no more late-night talks.

She'll be alone.

"You seem pretty close to him yourself," Lila brings up, snapping Marinette out of her thoughts. "You think you can get him to meet up with me so we can reunite?"

Not wanting this to continue any further, Adrien gets up and sprints in the opposite direction, followed by his kwami. "I think she really _is_ planning on using Marinette and then leaving her in the dust. Well, too bad her plan's going to fail. PLAGG, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming into Chat Noir, he vaults himself over to Marinette and Lila, the latter looking especially horrified. "Hey, Marinette, it's nice to see you again," Chat Noir says with a smile. He then turns to Lila with the same smile on his face, but with anger in his eyes. "Nice to see you again too, _Lila_."

Lila's eyes widen, and she stays silent.

"Long time no see. I saw your interview on the Miraculous Chat," Chat Noir says, slamming his staff on the bench between Lila and Marinette.

"I…" Lila mutters before burying her face in her hands shamefully.

"It's been a while, hasn't it? How have you been since I saved you? Since our last talk? Oh, but hold on, I'm having a blank here. When _exactly_ did that ever happen?" The superhero makes a thinking pose, and then raises a finger as if he remembered something. "Oh, right! _Never_." He then turns to Marinette and says straight-up, "She was lying to you to get to me."

"Lila, you…" Marinette begins, shocked.

"I don't appreciate lies about me. But most of all, I don't appreciate people using others to get what they want, _especially_ if those people are friends of mine," Chat Noir says. "And really? Lying on a worldwide-famous blog? I wonder how you'll survive once everyone finds out you were lying."

"So… I guess you aren't the descendant of a superhero, huh?" Marinette asks the now embarrassed girl.

"How dare you?!" Lila screams at Chat Noir before getting up and running out of the park.

"Lila, wait!" Marinette calls out to her. She then turns to her and scolds, "Chat Noir, don't you think you went a _little_ too far?"

"Just like Ladybug, I hate liars," Chat Noir says. "I was protecting you, Princess. Don't I deserve a little thank you?"

"Well, your way of dealing with things isn't very mature if you haven't noticed," Marinette says.

"Whatever," Chat Noir says, extending his staff. "Stay mad all you want. At least now I know you're safe."

Marinette shakes her head and runs off to try to find Lila. Before he could exit the scene, he hears a ringtone go off, and he follows the sound, realizing that it's coming from the trashcan. He peeks inside to find Marinette's phone in there, and he exclaims, "Seriously?! She threw Marinette's phone in the garbage when she was done?!"

Chat Noir exits the scene with the phone in his hand, and he makes it home and transforms back into Adrien upon landing in his room through the open window. Plagg falls into his hands and says, "That counts as using your powers irresponsibly."

"It was to protect her, how is that irresponsible?" Adrien argues. "I'd say it was for good cause—what's that?!" He runs to his window, gasping when he sees a _meteorite_ heading towards Paris.

After a second transformation that day, Chat Noir vaults out of his room and towards the meteor, ready to cast Cataclysm on it, stopping when he sees someone in a fox costume flying towards it instead. He watches in shock when they successfully manage to throw the meteor back into space.

The orange-clad heroine then lands on the roof of a building and announces to the Parisians cheering for her, "I am Volpina, the only superhero Paris needs!"

Chat Noir lands on a roof, shrinking his staff. "Volpina?" he asks.

Ladybug lands right next to him. "Looks like we have a new rival," she says.

"Is she really a superhero?" Chat Noir asks. It's a bit _too_ coincidental that Lila said she was a descendant of the superhero _Volpina_ , who just so happens to have the same name as this new "hero"…

"You're judging her before getting to know her," Ladybug says. "You did that with me, and now you're doing that to her? What's with you?"

"You see, _your_ problem is that you trust people too quickly. That'll be the cause of your downfall," Chat Noir says.

"At least I give people a chance! _You_ never let anyone make up for their mistakes—as if _you_ don't make any either!"

Volpina suddenly interrupts their arguing by landing between the two of them, making both rivals cast each other a look. "Hey guys! Glad you dropped in," she says with a (fake) smile. "I think there's something you two should see…"

"Any reason why we should trust you?" Chat Noir asks, arms crossed.

"If you want to end all this akumatizing once and for all, then trust me," Volpina says, flying off. Chat Noir and Ladybug look at each other questioningly before following the new superheroine. They all land on a nearby roof, Paris' two rivals gasping at the sight of the figure standing on top of one of the roofs.

"It's Hawkmoth!" Ladybug exclaims. "In the flesh!"

"He never shows up! Something big is going on—really big!" Chat Noir exclaims.

"We can take him down, but it's going to take all three of us," Volpina says. "We better make the most of our individual talents."

"Time out," Chat Noir says, and Ladybug looks over at his rival with a sigh. "I hope you know that Ladybug and I aren't partners. On top of wanting me and that klutz to work together, you want us to work with you too? Who are you, really?"

Volpina holds a hand out, while the other points at her necklace. "Volpina, wielder of the Fox Miraculous," she says, and Chat Noir eyes her hand suspiciously. "You can trust me, Chat Noir."

"We'll see," he says, brushing her hand away.

"Come to think of it, there's something fishy going on here. A meteor and Hawkmoth _on the same day_? A little unusual, don't you think?" Ladybug steps in.

Before either of them could add on to anything else, Hawkmoth teleports from roof to roof. "He's getting away!" Volpina cries, following him, and Chat Noir and Ladybug follow closely behind. When Hawkmoth stops, they stop on the roof they're on. "We have to catch him before it's too late. Ladybug, go to his left. Chat Noir, you take the right, and I'll come from behind."

"Hold up, I don't even listen to _her_ instructions," Chat Noir says, pointing over to Ladybug.

"You should've done a little more research on us," Ladybug says. "We take any route we want." Without it being said, Chat Noir is going to attack from behind, and Ladybug heads over to the right.

Lila watches both heroes go with narrowed eyes. It's a lot harder to convince them than she initially thought.

Her first target: Chat Noir.

* * *

Chat Noir is running from roof to roof, trying to catch up to the teleporting supervillain. However, while walking on a townhouse's roof, a red square blinks around his foot, making him stop in her tracks. He looks up, gasping to find over a dozen bombs surrounding him, and behind them— _Volpina_.

"I wouldn't move an inch if I were you," Volpina cackles, making Chat Noir gasp. "Don't look at me like that. If anything, _I_ should be looking at _you_ like that. You _did_ humiliate me after all."

Chat Noir's eyes widen. " _Lila_?!" she exclaims.

"I'm not Lila anymore! From now on, it's _Volpina_!" she screams.

"You're not a superhero!" Chat Noir screams. "You're another one of Hawkmoth's akumatized victims!"

"You humiliated me, Chat Noir. You're going to pay for it. But before I get rid of you, you are going to give me your Miraculous or that building goes down." The akumatized victim points over at a building in the distance.

"You wouldn't do that," Chat Noir says, holding his ground.

"Watch me," Volpina says, blowing on her flute. The building she pointed at earlier starts crumbling, and many Parisians are screaming in horror at the sight.

"Stop!" Chat Noir says, and with trembling hands, he reaches for his Black Cat Ring. Before he could take it off, however, a pigeon hits the building, and the horrible sight vanishes in a puff of smoke. "An illusion?"

"No!" Volpina gasps.

"The meteor, Hawkmoth… it was all a lie!" Chat Noir exclaims. "That's your power, isn't it? Illusions—lies!" The black cat superhero extends his staff and hits the bombs with a swift twirl, making the illusions of bombs disappear. Chat Noir manages to escape secretly while the clouds of smoke blocked him from Volpina's view and he immediately calls Ladybug on his staff.

"Chat?" Ladybug asks from the other line.

"My Lady, did you catch up to Hawkmoth?" Chat Noir asks.

"Nope. Lost sight of him," she answers. "He teleported and just… never reappeared, so you can't say anything about it being my fault!"

"I wasn't going to blame you. He was never there in the first place," Chat Noir says.

Ladybug pauses before continuing, "What are you talking about? We saw him with our own eyes."

"That's Volpina's power. She creates illusions. The Hawkmoth we saw wasn't real," he says. "She's not a real superhero—she's an akumatized victim, and… it's all my fault."

"What did you do?" she asks.

"I called her out on her lies in front of a new friend she made," Chat Noir sighs. "I lost my temper and… you know how I am when I'm angry. I don't think."

"Lila?" Ladybug whispers to himself.

"I'll send you her address, meet me there," he says before hanging up. Ladybug receives a text message a few seconds later to find out that he sent her the address to his house.

"It _is_ Lila," Ladybug says to herself before heading in the direction of her house as fast as she possibly can. She made before Chat Noir or Volpina could, and transforms back into Marinette after landing in her room past the trapdoor.

"I think Ladybug would help more in this situation, don't you think?" Tikki asks.

"If I'm not wrong about Lila being Volpina, maybe I can make her see sense as Marinette. Maybe then she'll listen," Marinette says, gesturing for Tikki to go inside her purse.

Marinette hears a _thud_ on the roof, and climbs to her balcony to find Volpina leaning over the rails. "Do I… know you?" Mairnette fakes.

"Of course you do, Marinette. Don't you remember this necklace?" Volpina says, pointing at the accessory around her neck. "I didn't know how to tell you the truth, but at least this way you can see for yourself that I'm not lying. I'm a superhero."

"Lila?!" Marinette exclaims, pretending she didn't know at all.

"You can call me Volpina," she says. "I'm sorry about the scene in the park earlier today. I forgot to mention that Chat Noir and I got into a bit of a fight, which explains why he acted the way he did—"

"Volpina," Volpina and Marinette turn to the window to see Chat Noir shaking her head. "No more lies, and keep Marinette _out_ of this."

"I'm just clearing things up for her," Volpina shrugs. "You must like her _a lot_ if you're so keen on protecting her."

"I'm a superhero," Chat Noir says. "I have to keep her safe."

While Chat Noir and Volpina battle it out on the roof, Marinette sneaks back into her room to transform back into Ladybug. Tikki flies out of Marinette's purse. "Ready to transform?" she asks.

"We better hurry," Marinette nods. "TIKKI, TRANSFORM ME!"

After transforming into Ladybug once again, she leaps out the open window in her room and jumps to the roof. "Sorry I'm late! I had some trouble… finding the place," she laughs nervously.

Right after Ladybug arrives, Volpina realizes that she's outnumbered two to one. With a blow of her flute, she creates a dozen more Volpina's and jumps inside the group to hide from them. Ladybug uses her yoyo to hit them, and they all vanish without a trace.

"If these are all illusions, where's the _real_ Volpina?" Chat Noir asks.

He looks around the place, stopping when he catches sight of an orange figure leaping from roof to roof. He gasps when he sees the villain dragging Marinette with her.

"She's taken Marinette!" Chat Noir screams, pointing out the window.

"That's an illusion too!" Ladybug quickly says.

"How do you know?" Chat Noir asks.

"She creates illusions, she's a liar," Ladybug says. "Think about it—she'd never _actually_ hurt an innocent person, would she?"

"You don't know that," Chat Noir says. He then jumps into Marinette's room and hops back onto the roof. "Marinette's nowhere to be found, that _must_ be her. Volpina's controlled by Hawkmoth after all, I'd say she _would_ hurt an innocent person."

When Chat Noir vaults himself out of the scene, Ladybug groans.

"I'm not even going to try to get out of this."

* * *

Both rivals make it to the Eiffel Tower to find a cackling Volpina dangling a terrified-looking Marinette over the edge. Chat Noir and Ladybug are climbing up the tower as quickly as they could, stopping when Volpina says, "One step closer and I'm dropping her!"

" _Don't_!" Chat Noir screams. "This is going too far, Volpina, and you know that!"

"If ever word goes out that I lied, no one would want to talk to me, and I'd be all alone again," Volpina says, her voice dripping with anger and sadness.

"Again?" Chat Noir echoes.

"And it'll all be because of you!" Volpina screams. "If you're going to make me suffer, then I'll make _you_ suffer too!"

"Volpina, look," Chat Noir says. "I know how it feels to be lonely. But lying to people? Using them? Revenge? No one will like you if you continue like this even if you're _not_ lying!"

"You, lonely?" Volpina scoffs. "You're one half of Paris' beloved superhero duo! You have fans, friends, people falling to your feet—I have _no one_."

"Lila…" Chat Noir says.

"Once I let go of her, I hope it haunts you for life, knowing that you were the cause of all this," Volpina grins wickedly. "However, I'll spare her in exchange for your Miraculouses."

"Don't even joke about that," Chat Noir growls. "She did _nothing_ wrong!"

"Really? The one person who was there when you exposed me? The one person who knows my lie? No hard feelings, Marinette," Volpina tells her. "But I'd drop you in an instant if doing so would help me defeat them."

"You must be out of your mind if you think we're going to fall for this again," Ladybug says. "That Marinette's not even real—she's just an illusion."

"You want to bet on that?!" the akumatized victim thunders, releasing her hold on Marinette's arm one finger at a time.

" _NO_!" Chat Noir screams desperately, bringing a hand to his ring. "Just… take my ring. Take it, just don't drop Marinette."

Touched by his words, Ladybug snaps out of her thoughts and holds out her yoyo. " _Don't do it, Chat Noir_!" she screams, throwing her yoyo at Volpina and Marinette. "It's just an _illusion_!" When her yoyo hits them, they both vanish in a puff of smoke.

The real Volpina pokes her head out from her hiding place to growl at the heroes. "There she is!" Ladybug points, and she and Chat Noir climb all the way to the top, gasping at the sight of all the Volpina's. Chat Noir throws himself into battle right away, hitting every illusion that comes his way.

"This is for messing with my head," Chat Noir says as he hits a Volpina illusion with all his might. "This is for lying, and this is for _Marinette_!" Chat Noir throws his hand up in the air. "CATACLYSM!"

The familiar black glow of Cataclysm appears, and Chat Noir slams his hand on the tower, causing over a dozen of iron bars to fall. They each hit a Volpina illusion, making them all vanish, and ultimately trapping the real one.

"I'll take that," Chat Noir says, ripping her necklace off and smashing it with the end of his staff. A black butterfly flutters out of the akumatized item, and the hero paints it white once more. "MIRACULOUS CHAT!"

Magic dust flies all over the town, restoring everything to its former glory. When Volpina turns back into Lila, Chat Noir approaches her and helps her up on her feet. "Lila," he says.

"Chat Noir?" Lila asks, looking away shamefully.

"While I don't appreciate you making up lies about me…" he begins. "I want to say sorry for acting the way I did earlier."

"Forget it, Chat Noir," Lila says, pushing him off of her. "I'm over you." Before climbing down the tower, Lila picks up the fox tail necklace and puts it in her pocket.

"You messed up big time," Ladybug says. "Maybe I was wrong. Your _temper_ will be your downfall."

"You're not making me feel any better, klutz," he says. His eyes suddenly widen, and he says, "Wait… where's Marinette?!"

Ladybug blanches. "Uh, w-well, if that Marinette earlier was an illusion, she should be at home, right? Everything went back to normal after your Miraculous Chat, she should be safe at the bakery!"

"I'm heading back there to check if she's all right. You can head out without me," he says, extending his staff. He's about to jump off the Eiffel Tower, when Ladybug runs in front of him to block his path.

"She's fine! _I'll_ go check!" Ladybug says.

"That's not enough for me. I need to see for myself," he says. "Move out of the way."

His blood is boiling with fear and anger because of the day's events, but they're mostly for Marinette's safety. _He_ was the one who got Lila akumatized in the first place, and it's _his_ fault that Marinette is in possible danger. If she's hurt in any way… he would never forgive himself.

"Chat, there's no time for you to check," Ladybug says, pointing at his beeping ring. "You're going to transform back soon."

"I'll be quick," he argues. Chat Noir walks around him, preparing to jump off and fly off with a twirl of his staff. "There's no time to argue, I'm going _now_!"

Before Ladybug could say anything else, Chat Noir leaps over her and off to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. With a sigh, Ladybug launches her yoyo and swings off into her house's direction as fact as she can.

* * *

When Ladybug lands in her room through the trapdoor and transforms back into Marinette, she makes sure to shut it and lock it. Seconds later, she hears Chat Noir land on her roof with a _thud_. She hears him try to pull on the trapdoor, and he stops upon realizing it's locked.

"Marinette, are you all right?" he asks desperately, knocking on it. "Please tell me you're in there… Princess, can you hear me?"

"Chat Noir?" Marinette calls out. "Is that you?"

"It's me," he says, and she hears him sigh in relief. "I just wanted to make sure if you're all right."

"Huh? O-oh, yeah, I'm fine," Marinette says, climbing up the ladder of her trapdoor. She stops at the last step, and sits on it. "I'm sorry I can't open the trapdoor, the lock got all… messed up. I'm scared to open it and not be able to close it. It could be dangerous at night, you know?"

"Oh, I see," Chat Noir says from the other side, leaning in closer. "I'll be leaving now then. I just wanted to make sure you're all right. I'm glad you are."

"Thank you, Chat Noir," Marinette says softly. "Really, thank you."

Chat Noir and Ladybug—Adrien and Marinette—both place a hand against the trapdoor, with it being the only thing separating their touch, and only their sighs overlap with one another.

Marinette hears rushed footsteps from the other side of the door, and when she hears Chat Noir extend his staff and leap off her balcony, she slowly opens the door and walks out. She catches him jump from one roof to the other, and she sighs sadly.

She wishes she could reveal her identity to him, but she knows he wouldn't want that.

* * *

The next day at school, when Mme Bustier dismisses class, Adrien is packing his things when he feels someone nudge him. He looks up to find Marinette standing next to him, and looking down at him with a small smile.

"Remember that café I told you about?" Marinette asks, and Adrien nods. Nino and Alya cast each other a look and quietly make their way out of class. "Do you want to go try it out?"

Adrien's face evidently lights up. "You know I do," he answers, getting up. "My treat."

"Seriously?" Marinette asks, and Adrien nods with a grin. "You're being awfully nice these past few days. I like to think it's the calm before the storm."

"Is everything I do associated to bad things?" Adrien sighs exasperatedly.

"Of course, jerk," she laughs.

Adrien and Marinette walk out of the school in silence, side-by-side. On their way to the café, Adrien reaches into his bag and takes Marinette's cellphone out.

"Hey, Marinette," Adrien says, holding it out for her. "I saw you drop this the other day."

Marinette takes the phone and grins. "I've been looking for this!" she exclaims. "Thank you so much, Adrien!"

"It's no problem," Adrien says.

"First you find my phone, now you're treating me," Marinette counts. "I feel horrible now. What can I do in return? I can get you macarons from the bakery, or maybe some cake? Oh, my mom makes _amazing_ almond cookies if you want!"

While Marinette continues to talk about other ways of repaying him, Adrien cuts her off by saying, "Hey klutz, you can shut up now." He flicks her forehead and continues, "Just spend the day with me. That's good enough for me."

They stop walking upon realizing that they made it to the café. "Alright, what do you really want?" Marinette asks, and Adrien just slaps his forehead.

"I can't believe you're this dense," Adrien says, pulling one of her cheeks. Marinette slaps his hand away, and he laughs.

"Don't do that," Marinette says, rubbing her cheek. Adrien smirks, and enters the little café, followed by Marinette. "Fine, I'll spend the day with you. But call me klutz one more time, and I'm leaving."

"You won't," Adrien says firmly.

"How do you know?" Marinette asks.

"I just do," he smirks. "Klutz."

Marinette huffs, but doesn't move an inch.

* * *

Adrien walks into his house with grin on his face and a spring in each step. Even though he and Marinette didn't stay at the café for too long, it still made him extremely happy. Sure, there was teasing and arguing, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

His happy thoughts are interrupted, however, when the familiar smell of Camembert reaches his nose. "Ugh, Plagg!" Adrien groans. "Seriously, how are you not sick of that yet?"

Adrien pinches his nose with his fingers as he walks down the stairs of his home. His kwami is sitting on his shoulders holding two slices of Camembert cheese, which he devours in two seconds flat.

"I've been eating cheese for the last five thousand years, kid," Plagg burps. "Trust me, I could go for a five thousand more."

Adrien opens his mouth to say something, but he's cut off by the sound of his father exploding in his study room. The blond tip-toes over to the door left ajar and peeks into the room, seeing his father stomping around angrily while holding a cellphone to his ear.

"This is unacceptable!" Gabriel Agreste thunders while flipping through a thick book. "The sample garment doesn't match _at all_! All you had to do was follow a pattern. Imbeciles! What am I supposed to do now?! The show is in three days!"

Adrien's eyes widen when he sees his father throw open the painting of his mother, which reveals to have a secret vault behind it. Adrien throws a hand over his mouth to stop himself from gasping.

"He hides stuff behind the painting of mom?" he whispers to himself.

"No, don't use him, he's completely useless," Gabriel Agreste says, snapping Adrien out of his thoughts. Adrien quickly hides behind the pillar near the door, watching as his father exits the room. "Call my assistant, Nathalie. She'll give you some other news."

When his father is out of sight, Adrien runs into the room and slowly approaches his mother's painting. His chest constricts at the sight of her, and he sinks in all of her features with glazed eyes before pulling it open to reveal the vault.

"Yes," Plagg says while rubbing his little hands together. "I _love_ dirty little secrets. Open it!"

Adrien takes a quick glance at the door and then at the vault. "I can't do it," he shakes his head. "My dad wouldn't like me going through his stuff. Besides, I don't even know the code."

Plagg rolls his eyes. "What a goodie-two-shoes," the kwami says before phasing through the vault.

"Plagg, _no_!" Adrien screams before clamping his mouth with his hand after realizing how loud he was. The vault flies open seconds later, and Plagg is sitting next to a picture frame of Adrien's mother.

"My, my, what have we got here?" Plagg asks, flying next to Adrien's head to get a better look at the shelf. "A book on Tibet, an old flyer from a hotel, a load of junk. Aw, come on, where's the good stuff—wait, what's this?"

The kwami knocks a hard-cover book into his wielder's hands, looking down at it with a hint of familiarity in his eyes. "I've seen this book somewhere before, but where?"

"Are you done yet?" Adrien asks, taking quick glances over his shoulder. "Can we go now?"

"Flip through the pages. Maybe I'll remember," Plagg says, and Adrien obeys.

"Why is my dad keeping this locked in a safe?" the blond asks as he flips through the book. He gasps upon landing on a specific page. "Hawkmoth?! What's this villain doing in a book about superheroes?"

Adrien and Plagg gasp when they hear footsteps approaching. Adrien is about to put the book back, but his kwami stops him. "No, take it with you!" he exclaims.

Adrien slams the vault shut and dives under his father's desk when the door swings open and prays that he doesn't go to his desk for any reason at all. The door swings open once more, and when Adrien pokes his out the desk to find no one there, he sprints out of his father's office and into his room.

After catching his breath, Adrien plops onto his couch and holds the book out.

"Why did I take this book again?" he asks his kwami, flipping through the pages of the book he and Plagg managed to take from his father's secret vault. The black cat kwami is sitting on his shoulder, looking down at the pages with furrowed brows.

"There's something about it that's _so_ familiar…" Plagg says as Adrien continues to flip through the pages. When the next page reveals a picture of the Turtle wielder, Plagg exclaims, " _Hold up_!"

"What?" Adrien asks, and Plagg dives into the book, lying over the page containing coded information about the Turtle superhero.

"I think I remember now," Plagg says, eyes widened. "Get up. We're leaving."

"What? To where?" Adrien asks, getting up from his seat on the couch.

"Just follow me," Plagg says, flying out the door. "This book contains all the secrets of the Miraculous powers. I think it's time he gets this back."

"Who?" Adrien asks.

"The great guardian," the kwami answers. "We have to let him know about this. I don't know why your dad would hide this kind of thing, but we really have to bring it back."

"Plagg, I can't just leave—" Adrien begins.

"Like you don't sneak out every night for patrol already," Plagg shoots.

Adrien locks his bedroom door and opens his window. He shoves the book in his backpack, and slings it over his shoulder. "All right, fine. You win; just tell me where to go," he says.

Adrien transforms into Chat Noir just to get to the ground safely, and once he finds a good hiding place, he de-transforms. He follows Plagg's directions, and finds himself in front of a Massage Shop.

"…Are you sure this is the right place?" Adrien asks, an eyebrow raised.

"If it isn't, at least you get a massage?" Plagg replies sheepishly, and Adrien just glares at him.

The blond walks into the shop, knocks on the door, and the person on the other side says, "Come in."

He opens the door to see an old man smiling up at him. "I've been expecting you, Chat Noir," he says.

Adrien enters the room, and shuts the door behind him.

 _end card_

* * *

 **A** **/N:** End of Season 01.

I hope you enjoyed this extra! I explored Lila's character a bit more; her fear of being lonely, wishing she could be as loved by Ladybug and Chat Noir. Even on the show, she seemed like a sad character to me. I know you can't really compare both versions, but out of the two that I've written, which version of _Volpina_ do you prefer?

 **Thank you for the favorites, thank you for the alerts, and thank you for the reviews**. I don't think I would've been able to complete this story without your support. I really do appreciate you all for sticking to this story until the end. I love you, guys. :') If you can, please leave me one last review. I'd love to hear your final thoughts. And let me know which chapter in this story was your favorite! I think I'd love to hear that too.

 **Akuma Capture:  
Ladybug: 14  
Chat Noir: 14  
\- TIED -**

Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year! :)

I'll see you soon.

~ Kaorei


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